


Not a care in the world

by gutterfortunecookie



Category: Loki - Fandom
Genre: Accident, Angst, Assassination Plot(s), Attempted Sexual Assault, Choking, Clone Sex, Cunnilingus, Death, Dreams and Nightmares, Engagement, Execution, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Fluffy Smut, Heartbreak, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Imprisonment, Magic, Nightmares, Oral Sex, Serious Injuries, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-04-13 09:05:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 48,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4516011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gutterfortunecookie/pseuds/gutterfortunecookie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things stir in Loki as he feels something strange for his Midgardian lover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad day

 

 

She sank in the passenger’s side as her aunt sang with the music on the radio. She felt like she was always taunting her ever since a few years earlier when she was singing _Buddy Holly_ in the car before they went into the library.

_“That is so disrespectful!”_

_“What did I do?”_

_“There’s no singing in my car, honestly, Charlotte. Use your fucking head!”_

Singing was so easy for her, even though her aunt had joked saying it was okay now but she didn’t want to sing. She wanted to cry from how bone tired and embarrassed she was. Charlotte had worked two 12 hour shifts in the past two days, lifting and sorting cardboard boxes as she bit through the pain of a hard day’s work.

Though both days were slow, she didn’t want to be tempted in playing with her phone on the job so out of good faith in herself, she took the battery from the phone and tucked it away in her pocket. When she turned it back on, she was slammed with the obsessive twenty or so texts from her aunt.

It was a simple miscommunication on her aunt's part that escalated more than it should have. She learned to ignore her aunt's whining and self-pity as the car turned into the U-shaped driveway. Charlotte swallowed back her tears and shifted her weight as she carried the soft drinks for them and her brother and her sister as she went into the house. After her 40 year old aunt was settled and nurtured as a child, Charlotte pushed the remaining shares of her food to her siblings.

The minute she closed the door to her attic, she let her tears fall as she climbed the stairs. She did her best not to give in to her exhaustion as she reached the top of the stairs and pried open her door, she knew he was waiting in her armchair as he flicked the switch on the other side of the cramped room with his magic.

“Good evening, my lovely.”

Charlotte tossed her food to the desk and stripped off what clothes she could as she kept her eyes from him. He rose from the chair, so hungry to take her and left in surprise as she turned off the light and laid in the bed in her tired undergarments.

She felt his hand at her shoulder as he sat near the edge of the small bed.

“Charlotte, what happened?”

“Fuck off…”

“Tell me,” he ordered.

She huffed her breath and pulled the blanket over her head as she turned to the flaking brown wall. He was calm as he yanked the blanket from her.

She in turn snatched the hardest pillow she had as she swung it at him.

“I said _Fuck off, Loki_! I’m in no fucking mood for your shit tonight!”

“Don’t you ever strike me like that again!”

Loki’s fury lit one of the small lamps on the other side of the room as he saw the tears in his lover’s eyes. He didn’t realize he had pulled her up from the bed by her jaw. The young woman sobbed as he took her into his arms and laid them gently on the bed. He moved underneath her, holding her closely after he willed his hard battle armor away. Charlotte wept into his chest as Loki did what he could to calm her.

They had known each other for years, not getting too involved in each other lives as they took their life’s frustrations out on each other through various carnal hours together. Though she never talked about the family below her feet, he would occasionally peek into her mind and see the stress and hurt of the events that took place in the small house.

None of it was traumatizing but it was enough.

Normally something of this nature was easy to ignore but he couldn’t help but feel the heartbreak of his woman as she slowly fell to sleep. A few minutes went by as she moaned painfully. Loki looked down her body closely to the throbbing muscles in her legs and feet. Her sides and hips were close to cramping as she bit back what noises she could.

Loki chanted softly, careful not to wake her as he enchanted her sore muscles away. He never enjoyed seeing her in pain that wasn’t caused by him. He sighed contently as Charlotte finally molded to him. He passed the time as he softened the light of her room, and ran his finger over the rim of her brow to ease her dreams.

He looked around to the mess of her room and he levitated books to their shelves and pushed dirty and clean clothes alike to the furthest parts of the room so she would have a path to the door. The sun set outside as he let his eyes close.

Time stretched as Charlotte finally woke, looking down to Loki who was pretending to be asleep. He always enjoyed watching her in her private moments after they were spent from pleasure.

She sat quietly as she ate her cold, wrapped meal in minutes. She grabbed a towel and a new set of clothes as she departed from the room. The minute he heard the water running underneath him, he rummaged through her apron. There he found simple things, her lipstick, a small notebook with scribbles, and a candy wrapper. At the bottom was a white tissue with fresh dried blood splotches. The inhaled the tissue, seeing the events of her stressful day play out as she cut the side of her hand accidently after getting upset.

He saw how she was skilled at biting her tongue and letting everyone walk all over her. Loki almost didn’t hear as she ascended the stairs.

He laid back down as she entered the room wearing her nightwear. She always stripped herself bare when she reached the safety of her room but this time she left on her lower undergarments he always favored ripping from her.

He watched as the water dripped slowly from her body and in the way she bent over to pick things up from the floor to tidy a bit. Loki shifted silently as he tucked his painful erection between his thighs. Charlotte came back to the bed to her original spot as she turned out the light above her head. She was slowly starting to drift back to sleep as she moved under the covers next to him.

“Thank you,” she whispered as she finally gave in to sleep.

Loki smiled, letting free his cock as it began to throb. He thought for a second to leave to take care of his problem but he feared her younger brother would hear his moans and investigate.

“ _Not tonight,_ ” he thought to himself as he wrapped his arm around her. He closed his eyes and listened to the roadway below outside the house. Each passing vehicle was another closer to dawn and closer to the moment he would indulge his lover with a rather delicious deal…

 


	2. Let's go

 

_“Charlotte...”_

_“Mom?”_

_She didn’t move a muscle as she sat on the park bench. She was hungry for the ice cream in her hand and the ribbon to her balloon was slipping from her grip._

_“Stay here for a second.”_

_She remembered the beautiful raven hair that feel from her mother’s shoulder as she turned back for the coffee shop where she left her purse. Charlotte let go of both the ice cream and the balloon. Her small sandals hit the ground but she couldn’t move her feet. She looked up to the man with balloons as she cried out for help. He only gave the balloons to the other children as tears ran down her face._

_“Mom?”_

_The brown irises still haunted her as her mother adjusted her twisted tank top past the top of her jeans and took a single step down from the sidewalk._

_“Stay there, Lottie.”_

_“Mommy!”_

_Her mother flew in the air as the truck struck her from the side. Charlotte had already covered her eyes not wanting to witness the same dream again but the sounds were still the same. People were screaming and the mothers were pulling their children from the street. Charlotte only cried, that was all she knew how to do. At the time, she was only seven but after twenty years, the events seemed so clear._

Charlotte shook herself awake as the darkness of the room settled her. This time she was able to stop the dream from going any further. She felt the sweat run down her face as she looked to her phone.

_2:04 am_

She turned on her side and heard the two televisions still on below her as she tried stretching on the short bed.

“Fuck me,” she sighed knowing she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep for the next few hours.

“Only if it will help, darling.”

Charlotte tumbled out of bed, surprised to find Loki in her bed. Her back hit the dull shag carpet as she stopped herself from hitting her head. Loki chuckled as he slowly rubbed her legs as they dangled over top of his lap.

He lit a single light in the far end of the room. Charlotte looked up to Loki as he reclined to his side as he started to pull her legs up the bed. He moaned mischievously as his fingers wondered to her knees.

“Loki, cut it out. Everyone’s still awake.”

“Then let them hear,” he purred as he rose to his knees. He toyed with the flimsy material of her panties as he licked his lips.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” she warned.

“Do what? This?”

Loki ripped the panties clean from Charlotte and pried her legs apart in the blink of an eye. Charlotte was dragged up the side of the bed as Loki moved underneath her. She hooked her arms around Loki’s thighs to keep herself balanced. He took a casual seat on the side of her mattress and feasted on Charlotte’s core as she tried desperately to pull herself up with the help of his leather pants.

“Please,” she whined as Loki pinned her down between his legs.

Loki moved his tongue slower as Charlotte’s hips bucked to him, begging him for more as she tried to keep herself silent. Her head fell back to the soft floor on her long brown hair. She looked up her body to Loki’s hooded eyes as he drew his tongue across the top of her mound, wanting it to tease her until she screamed.

“You squirm too much, little worm.”

Charlotte fought so hard to pull herself up but Loki quickly subdued her as he rubbed slowly at her clit. She let go of her pants, sacrificing all of her hard work to cover her mouth.

“My dear wanton, Charlotte. It really is a shame to see you like this. Keeping your pleasured screams at bay when they should echo and fill me with enough passion to keep us going for hours. If only we could find a place of solitude.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“We leave here for a while and make all the noise we want.”

“You still aren’t making any sense!”

“Shh,” he lifted her hips higher as he pressed his lips to her core, lazily teasing her as she mewled for him to stop. “Wouldn’t it be nice to scream as loud as you’d like and not care if anyone is listening?”

“Yes,” she whined as she clawed at his legs.

Loki had her just as he wanted her.

“Then let’s go.”

He dropped her hips to the bed and pulled her to his chest as he rolled them across the mattress into the wall as he pulled them through the waiting portal. Charlotte pushed herself away looking to the changed scenery as her eyes grew in shock.

Her eyes went for the enormous bed that was almost as large as her attic. She felt the soft sheets under her calves as she slipped towards the edge of the bed.

A small yelp filled the room as Charlotte found the eyes of a young woman that dropped a pile of wood from her arms as she averted her eyes.

Charlotte grabbed a pillow to cover herself as she moved off the bed and away from a smirking Loki.

“My apologizes, your highness. I did not know you would be arriving so soon.”

“It is fine, finish your task and send some clothes for the next few days for my guest.”

“Yes, sir.”

She piled the wood neatly near the fireplace and left the spacious room in a hurry.

The room. There wasn’t anything big enough in Charlotte’s mind to explain the size of the room. There was furniture everywhere and there was no odor to fill her nose as her senses slowly came back to her, sight being first as she saw color. Charlotte blinked breaking her concentration as her eyes roamed the walls. She jumped feeling Loki’s hands at her back.

“Don’t be so scared, Charlotte.”

“What the fuck did you just do?! Where am I?”

“Come now, you knew for a while now that I lived far away.”

Charlotte shook her head trying to understand.

“Loki, where are we?”

He took a step to the curtains and opened the hidden doors of his balcony, showing off the impossible sunset. The long green fabric of the curtains wrapped around Charlotte’s naked body as she stepped outside.

“Welcome to Asgard, my dear.”

“This can’t be real.”

“Can’t it?”

“That’s three suns!”

“To help our fields grow to their full potential and feed the kingdom.”

“Oh my god.”

She took a single step forward, looking down on the stories below to the palace city of Asgard. The evening wind flowed through her hair as she turned back to Loki with her mouth ajar.

“And there is so much more to see,” he whispered as he pulled her to his body.

Charlotte however wiggled away and wrapped herself fully in the curtain and pillow.

“There’s only one reason, I’m seeing this. I got a _damn_ concussion from falling off the bed.”

Loki pulled the balcony door closed enough for the wind to seep in.

“If you really think this a dream, then why not indulge yourself.”

“Dammit, Loki! Cut it out! That’s not funny! So… Oh my god.”

“There is probably more that I should inform you of.”

“What part?! That I’m not on Earth or the fact that I heard that girl call you “ _Your highness_ ”? I’m not on Earth, am I?”

“No, my dear. This is Asgard, my home. Very well much across the galaxy.”

“What about you?”

He smiled waving his hand and turned his head to the ceiling. Charlotte followed his eyes up as flower petals slowly fell around her. A calm storm in the form of yellow and white petals swarmed the room as a small amount collected in her hair.

“I am Loki Odinson, one of the princes of Asgard. I am a warrior of the finest army in the universe and a power master of magic, as you know already, and taught well by my mother the Queen.”

Charlotte stepped over the petals, clutching the pillow to her body as she looked to Loki. His hand glowed as the petals disappeared from sight.

“What am I doing here, Loki?”

“Offering you a chance to be rid of you former life, if I can persuade you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Loki took her hand leading her back to the large bed, taking the pillow away from her as his hand slowly roamed her body. He pressed himself to her.

“I’ve seen you in so much hurt over the time we’ve spent together. Let me tend to you for the next few days. Think of it as a gift for your company.”

“I can’t, they’ll know I’m gone.”

“I have already taken care of that. By now, your family should be in a deep slumber. I’ve left a note in your hand writing saying that you are gone with friends for a few days.”

“They’ll call my phone.”

“Again, taken care of. We’ll get to that bridge later. All I ask is that you be my companion for a few days. That way should you decide to go home, you will go back refreshed and at peace until I visit you again.”

“Me being your companion, what would that consist of? I feel that there’s a catch.”

He smiled taking the pillow from her and tossing her to the bed. Charlotte was utterly confused in the most part but she found she couldn’t stop smiling as Loki willed his clothes away, leaving himself as bare as Charlotte.

“I would be glad to discuss this matter with you in the morning but at the moment, I would love nothing more than to hear your voice touch the ceiling.”

Loki stalked her body as Charlotte bit her lip. He laid next to her, claiming her lips as he rolled to his back, pulling her onto his chest. She reached down to stroke him as he toyed with her folds.

“Mmm, so ready for me, aren’t you?”

Charlotte replied with a soft sigh as she curled her fingers tighter around Loki. He curled two fingers inside her core as her head fell back. Loki hardened more as her heard her voice loud and clear.

“I don’t think I heard you.”

His fingers curled again as his thumb purposely brushed her clit. Charlotte braced the bed behind her as she feel back. Loki wrapped his arm to her waist as he pulled his fingers to his lips. Charlotte watched as Loki cleaned each of his fingers, drawing her closer with every flick of his tongue.

“You smug little fucker…”

Charlotte pushed Loki to the mattress and kissed him, moaning at the taste of herself as she grinded herself on Loki’s lap. He pulled her to his mattress, lavishing her bare skin with kisses and the lick of his tongue. Loki was frustrated hearing Charlotte silence herself. He nipped her stomach with the front of his teeth as she yelped out in pain.

“What the hell was that?!”

Loki smiled down to her as he entered her. Charlotte felt herself weaken under him as she was filled with a single thrust. Her mouth dropped and filled his hears with a surprising moan that hardened him worse.

“That’s it, my dear. No one will care how loud you scream.”

He looked down to where their hips met. He used his Aesir strength of his fingers to hold her to the bed as his thumb brushed slowly over her clit. Charlotte braced herself on her arms as she looked down to what Loki was doing to her. She rocked her hips, making him hiss through his teeth.

He let out a growl as he took her lips roughly and thrusted into her wet core. Loki wrapped every individual finger around her skin as Charlotte’s body quickly filled with bliss.

All the months of trying to remain quiet as Loki fucked her had taken its toll on her. The attic floor creaked too easily. The bed was too old as evidence of their second month together when she had the house to herself for a few days. With the second time they had sex that night, they had broken her bed. Charlotte was so embarrassed as Loki fixed it with the snap of his fingers.

Charlotte’s voice desperately cried out for more as her walls closed around Loki’s cock. He held her close and pressed his thumb to her clit to prolong her climax as he thrashed to his. He fought everything in his power to bury his teeth into her skin and mark her. Loki’s body completely covered Charlotte as he emptied himself into her.

He held her close as he fell to his sheets. Loki looked to Charlotte as she slowly regained her senses.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m… Yeah.”

Loki pressed his lips to Charlotte’s forehead as she slowly started to drift off. He willed the candles to dim in the room. There was a chill from the balcony doors as he left them open to give himself a reason to pull the covers over him and Charlotte.

He kissed her shoulder and buried his face into the brown waves that cascaded across his pillows.


	3. The companion

 

Loki turned on his back as he felt her shift in the bed beside him. He looked at the beauty that graced his darkened bed linens. His fingers traced the side of her face as he fiddled with a single curl.

Charlotte turned to her back as she felt Loki’s hand on the side of her face.

“Good morning, my dear.”

She opened her eyes to the room, still surprised to see Loki’s room instead of her own. Loki rolled on top of her and smiled as he pulled the sheets away from her body.

“This doesn’t really feel like a dream anymore.”

“Good,” he whispered as he pulled her from the bed.

He led her to his wardrobe as he dressed himself and gave her a simple green robe to wear. He looked over his shoulder, taking her hand as he waved his own to an empty space in the wall. A single black door appeared as he opened it and led them through to the other side. Charlotte’s mouth dropped open as she saw another bedroom but slightly smaller.

Two young women turned and bowed to Loki as they presented him with a display of dresses.

“What’s this?”

“Pick one,” he whispered into her hair as he led her to the bed.

Charlotte’s fingers ran over the dresses, convinced and not that she was awake. She pointed to a sky blue dress with a long sleeve and metal cuffs and was placed behind a curtain to try them on. Charlotte let the women help her as they swept up her hair until it stayed in place by a metal band.

She closed her eyes feeling a brush caress her eyes and cheeks as a single necklace was placed around her neck. She opened them and looked into the body length mirror in front of her as she watched the goddess in front of her. Charlotte moved her arms and tilted her head. So did the reflection.

“Better than I imagined,” praised Loki as he dismissed the women.

Loki wrapped his arm around her as soon as the doors closed and rubbed in-between her legs as she molded to his chest.

“You look simply good enough to eat, my dear but it seems we have many things to do.”

“Did you put me in the room next to yours?”

“Oh no, my dear. This room is below mine a great distance. I’ve only given you a chance to find me, should you need to,” he purred as he dragged his tongue up the column of her neck.

He growled, grinding himself deeper into her as he pulled away and practically yanked her to the door.

“Where are we going?”

“We need must nourish ourselves for the day ahead and you will need all the _energy_ you can manage.”

She held on tightly to his hand as she kept up with his long strides. The halls and wonderful corridors blend together in waves of gold and polished marble. Her eyes go to the guards and servants, bowing and carrying on with their day. The staircases go on forever as she soon ran out of breath.

“How do you keep up with this place?!”

Loki only kisses her hand and picked her up by the waist when no one was looking. He ran full pace down the halls and let her loose as they made it outside. She remembered from the night before how the city looked lit up like Christmas but now as the sun was rising higher in the sky, light reflected from the side of the golden palace walls as she turned to eye everything she could. Loki pulled her along as more servants came into view, finishing up setting up a grand table of breathless tableware and glasses.

“What is all this? There’s more than two place settings.”

Loki smiled leading her away from the table and around the bend to a lush open garden as they found a sea of statuesque beings deep in conversation with one another. Charlotte was stunned at the appearance of everyone else, almost too beautiful to be human. Apparently, there were a lot of blondes and beautiful people in Asgard, reminding her of the endless sea of Barbie dolls she kept when she was younger.

“Loki, who are all these people?”

“The finest warriors and nobles of Asgard. It’s only a simple brunch.”

“Yeah, sweetie. Keep telling yourself that. Glad I could come.”

Loki locked eyes with an older, shining woman as she waved in his direction. A few males bowed to her as she turned for them. Charlotte took Loki’s arm out of impulse as he leaned into her ear to make sure only she heard him.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered, “You will in the next few hours…”

Charlotte hid a giggle the best she could.

“Loki, good afternoon. Glad you could join us for a meal.”

“Thank you, Mother. Better late than never. Everything looks splendid as always.”

“Speaking of, who is this with such a radiant smile? Did you snatch her away from the outlands of Vanaheim? You don’t see many with a rich color hair as hers.”

“I’m afraid not, mother. This is Charlotte Manning of Midgard. Charlotte, this is Frigga, the queen of Asgard.”

“My goodness,” she chimed gleefully as she tipped Charlotte’s chin to inspect her skin, “I have never met a Midgardian before.”

“If it makes you any better, I’ve never met a queen before. You’re… really tall.”

Charlotte blushed unsure of what to do, turning to Loki.

“Am I supposed to bow or do I shake her hand?”

Loki and Frigga both laughed as Frigga stepped forward and embraced Charlotte taking her completely by surprise. She felt the air taken from her by the queen’s grip on her, coughing as she was let go.

“You’re a lot stronger than you look.”

“My dear, we all are. Didn’t you know?”

“No. It seems this, all of this is going to be a learning experience for me. I only found out yesterday that he was a prince. Does he always have a catch to him? Sometimes I feel like pulling teeth just to get an answer.”

“Believe me, my dear. He has a skilled silver tongue to having things done his way. I am waiting for the day where it turns to lead.”

“It is not of my fault if my way is the most direct way to a solution.”

“But who’s to say it’s the proper solution,” said Charlotte.

Loki only smiled, brushing a stray hair away from Charlotte’s eyes.

“Young Charlotte, how did you meet Loki?”

“The library near where I work. I had finished an early shift from my work and I fell asleep on one of the chairs in the kids section. Some child was trying to steal from my bag. I woke up, almost catching him in the act when Loki stopped him. The kid tried to stand up to Loki but he winked to as he conjured up a snake that chased the kid away.”

“My gods. That’s not exactly a romantic notion.”

“I should have known from that wink that he was up to trouble.”

“I did what I could. I would have assumed most Midgardian women would wish for a savor.”

“As I said, not the proper solution,” she said with a playful stern look, “but it’s good to see chivalry isn’t dead.”

“Most days when he is not training, he seems to be on Midgard. Now I know why. You have quite a wit to you. I can see why he began to court you.”

“Thank you, he’s not… What are we,” she asked Loki in the moment.

Loki’s smirk disappeared as he gave a nervous chuckle.

“I’m not sure now is the best time.”

“I’m not ashamed about it, and I don’t really care what anyone else will think, no offense, your majesty. It’s not like you’re my boyfriend then again we’re not exactly bosom buddies if you think about it. It’s just… simple, nice. You don’t really need a word for it and we don’t ned to explain ourselves, we haven’t done anything wrong.”

“My goodness, Loki. Not many women truly understand their self-worth. You better ring her before someone else does.”

Loki, for once was speechless partially because of what was being said in front of his mother but also because she had countered his mischievous demeanor as the God of Lies without cruelness or harsh words. He felt a sudden pull in his chest as he turned his face to the ground.

“Uh oh, I think I broke him. He’s silent for once.”

“Congratulations on turning his tongue to lead, young Charlotte. You truly are a breath of fresh air. Come, everything is ready now.”

Frigga turned to the next person to her side as she began to usher others close as Loki led Charlotte away by her waist. She could tell Loki was a bit perturbed by the way his hand formed at her hip.

“You think you’re so clever.”

“Don’t you?”

He smiled as he was out of sight of everyone including the servants as he hid them behind a tall bush from wondering eyes. Loki towered over Charlotte as he pressed her against a nearby pillar. He pushed his hips into hers as she was raised into the marble. Loki grinded his thick leathers in-between her open legs as she tried to hide a moan.

Loki bent his neck forward, swallowing the moan. Charlotte tensed as she heard all Asgardians at the corner of the gardens, almost threatening to expose them.

“What’s the matter, dear? I thought you had no shame?”

Charlotte huffed as she snaked her hand past the various leather folds and his trousers as she took ahold of his cock, taking the breath from him. He buried his reddening face into her collarbone.

“I see you like games, your highness.”

He smiled as he let her go and led her back to the table. Charlotte allowed him to pull the chair out for her.

“I do enjoy a good game, my minx,” he whispered sitting next to her, “and you have far too much knowledge of my leathers.”

“I’m a quick learner.”

The group turned the corner and sat around the grand table as plates were filled with food and wine was poured endlessly. Charlotte’s mouth watered as she calmly attacked the food on her plate. She tried to advert her eyes from Loki as he watch Charlotte enjoy herself. He shifted in his chair, adjusting himself with no anvil. He waved his hand, making two copies under the spacious table.

For him was an almost naked Charlotte as her copy worked his cock from his trousers and into her mouth. She moaned for only Loki to hear as he looked over to Charlotte as she stopped for a moment, knowing something was amiss. Only he saw as she was pulled to the edge of her seat. He head shot straight to Loki as he winked. Her copy’s tongue was busy licking at his shaft as he took a sip of wine and cleared his throat.

“So mother, where is Father and Thor? I would imagine they would want to take part in such a splendid meal.”

Charlotte kept her mouth closed, just to be safe as she felt her legs be pried apart. She knew by the strength of his hands and the kiss at her knee that Loki had made a copy to hide under the table that was slowly inching his way up her open legs with the dress pooling at her lap. Loki slipped both hands under the table, one hand pinning Charlotte’s leg to his thigh and the other gathering her copy’s hair into his hand and working her head up and down on the length of his shaft.

“The All-Father is busy and will join us at dinner but I presume Thor shall be joining us shortly.”

“Did I just hear my name, mother?”

The table was distracted by the large blonde man’s appearance as Loki’s copy attached his tongue to Charlotte’s clit. Two fingers slipped gingerly into her, fucking her walls slowly as Charlotte looked around the table, only meeting the eyes of the woman attached to Thor’s arm as she shook her head in Charlotte’s direction. She knew, obviously.

“I see you brought Kylies for a meal. Welcome, my dear.”

“A pleasure to be included, my queen.”

Loki stopped at the brink of his release and dismissed his copy as he fixed himself back into his leathers. Charlotte fought hunching over as her walls clenched around the copy’s fingers. The copy vanished, giving Loki his chance as he moved his hand up her leg to Charlotte’s dripping cunt. Loki bit his lip as he gather whatever juices he could and pulled his hand to the safety of his place setting. Charlotte watched as Loki wiped his fingers on her small pile of fruit, coating the small bits of fruit with her come as her eyes burned into his.

“Here, try this,” he offered her with a smile, “I promise you it’s like nothing your every tasted.”

Charlotte accepted the fruit as quickly as she could without drawing any attention to herself. The fruit itself filled her mouth with a tart flavor as she also savored the taste of herself as Loki watched. Loki popped a smaller berry into his mouth, keeping his fingers in his mouth to taunt her as she squeezed her thighs together.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself, Loki.”

Charlotte felt caught as her eyes went to the Robin Hood looking warrior, she guessed, that flashed a smile in her direction.

“One can always enjoy the simple joys of Asgardian Spring berries, would you care for one, Fandral?”

“Thank you!”

Fandral grabbed a handful of fruit from Loki’s plate and all hell broke loose in Charlotte’s mind. Fandral closed his eyes as he ate the fruit one by one, moaning playfully as his eyes closed.

“My Gods, simply delicious but I don’t remember them being so tart.”

“Yes, I know. Still thought, the riper the berries, the sweeter the juice.”

Charlotte smiled as she returned to her plate, hoping to leave so she could get Loki alone. The meal soon finished as Charlotte fixed herself under the table. She took Loki’s arm and said her goodbyes for the time being until they were stopped by Thor and Kylies.

“Now, brother. What would your Midgardian lover think if she were to know that you slipped off to Vanaheim? Surely she would be disappointed.”

“What would yours think if she knew you dragged yours from Hell?”

Charlotte fought every muscle in her face to keep from smiling as Kylies huffed her breath.

“You do know you could have easily brought a whore to the table and feasted upon her.”

“Well, I was going to ask you but it would seem a whore has more class than a tramp.”

“Loki, that was uncalled for apologize.”

“Why should I? This is the Midgardian.”

Thor had to take a double look as he tilted his head.

“This is young Charlotte? Well, the attire here suits you well. I’m sorry for my words.”

“It’s fine, your highness. You meant no harm. I mean, who doesn’t love a good whore,” she joked with a smile.

She felt a bitterness seeping from Kylies as she tightened her grip around Thor’s large arm.

“You certain know an awful lot about whorish pigs from your lowly state.”

Both men stared at Kylies as she stood tall and held out her chest, stunned at her venomous words. Charlotte smiled as she held the metaphorical knife in her hands to cut Kylies to pieces.

“So… I’m a pig?”

“Only in attire that doesn’t flatter you.”

Loki clenched his fists, ready to send snaked into her hair.

“Kylies, what has gotten into you,” said Thor.

“No,” interrupted Charlotte with a smile, “She seems to be misinterpreting her insults on my customs but I think I can clear the air here. You want to compare? Whores tower tramps, no questions asked. A proper whore knows her place all while a tramp stomps over everything in her six inch heels with no regards to the penises she impales herself with. Where I come from, pig are absolutely worshipped. Men throw their dried dead skin around in victory at sporting events, we have a time of the year where families gather themselves around the table and eat like them and then there’s the pig itself. Midgardian men have a complete weakness for bacon. On Midgard, however, pigs win graciously over whores. Pigs can be cleaned and praised at its size while whores are only used and passed onto the next one without a second look. Perhaps you should educate yourself before insulting a race you know absolutely nothing about. Good day.”

Charlotte felt a waiting Loki turn her away. Loki was painfully turned on at her words and was ready to fuck her on the open table in view of Asgard. Thor turned laughing with Kylies, unaware that Kylies had stuck her foot out and tripped Charlotte as her whole body fell forward. Loki had loosened his grip on Charlotte for a second as she feel to the ground. Charlotte felt her head bang hard against the nearest chair, being almost knocked out as Kylies and Loki rushed to her side. Charlotte winced in pain as she felt a small trickle at the side of her head.

“Perhaps you shouldn't fuck with forces stronger than you, child. You could get hurt.”

A small crowd began to gather around Charlotte as Loki lifted her from the floor and into his arms. Frigga ushered everyone from the table as servants began to wipe up the spots of blood. Loki looked over his shoulder a single time as he met the eyes of his previous scorned lover. He hurried along to the healing room with Charlotte losing consciousness in his arms as blood dripped down her neck, staining her blue dress.


	4. Mended

_“Lottie…”_

_She could hear her mother but she was nowhere to be seen. She opened her eyes as the day shined on the edge of the park._

_“Mommy?”_

_She didn’t fight the dream as she was younger this time, maybe she was four. Why was she younger this time? She looked over her shoulder to her mother as she stood under the sunset. She raven hair fell over her shoulder as she raised her hand in a fury and shouted to the man her age. The man only shook his head and waved his hand in young Charlotte’s direction as if he was dismissing her._

_Loki watched from the bushes and the thick tree branches as he watched the scene unfold. He looked down to the people laughing and carrying on in the park but their faces were blank, unreadable and not even faces at all, like a field of dead grass. Loki watched the man, the woman and the small child. He could tell by the look of sadness mixed with the innocent blush of her small checks that Charlotte was dreaming again but he had never seen her go this far back into her memories._

_Charlotte felt a painful twinge in her arms as she looked down to the heavy bruises that instantly appeared on her skin. The man pushed the woman furiously and drew his hand back to strike her but she pushed back as she yelled for Charlotte to run. She only covered her eyes as things were silent. Loki looked as the man approached the woman and grabbed her arm, sternly turning her. He let go and was faint as the woman walked away and took Charlotte away by her hand. The man looked down to his side as blood coated his shirt immensely. Blood, not her own, had coated the woman’s hand as she pulled Charlotte along to the road of busy vehicles with no show of slowing down._

_Loki leapt from the tree and raced for the road. Charlotte kept her eyes closed as she ended up back on the bench at seven years old. She heard the wheels, her mother’s panting breath and the calm day as she opened her mouth and screamed._

_“Mommy!”_

_Her eyes opened as her mother pulled the younger illusion of herself to the road. Charlotte screamed louder in terror as Loki stopped in his tracks to the older Charlotte as she was forced to watch her mother die again. He leapt for her at the least minute and scooped her away as he hid them behind the trees away from the crash as screams filled their ears. Loki panted, holding a wailing Charlotte to his chest. She had her secrets but he had no idea they haunted her as such._

_“Shh,” he whispered, “I am here, Charlotte.”_

_The child cried as he cradled her. The day instantly bled into night as red eyes appeared in the bushes. Loki could remember the smell of alien sulfur from anywhere._

_“Charlotte, listen to me. I need you to wake up.”_

_He ignored the pointed ears as they appeared from the top of the leaves, surrounding him as Charlotte snapped out of her sobbing fit. She looked around to the red eyes, unaware of what was going on. Her eyes found Loki, not recognizing him or wondering who he was. She didn’t notice as she grew back into the adult in her stained Asgardian dress from breakfast and the blood fell from her head. She didn’t see as the Krused Dark Elves rose from their hiding positions with weapons in hand. She only reached up and touched the side of his face._

_“Loki…”_

Loki woke as he has rested his head on the side of Charlotte’s bed in the healing room. He shifted in his chair, looking around the empty room and was glad that the door had shut. He looked to the bed as Charlotte sat up on the other side, holding her head to the supposed bruised part of her head that hit the wooden chair.

Charlotte’s vision was foggy as Loki rushed to the other side of the bed. His shape started to become clearer as she blanked. She saw his arm extend something to her.

“Here, drink this.”

She closed her hand around his as she felt glass touch her lips.

“Sip it or shot it?”

“Please just drink it.”

Charlotte didn’t fight him as she swallowed the bitter liquid, nearly coughing it up from the taste. Her senses were quickly brought back to her. Her sight was sharper, seeing the worn rich fabric of her dress. She could smell the medicines on the other side of the room and hear the footsteps of the servants and guards and noblemen in the halls above and below her.

“I know it’s all a bit much. Your senses will be heightened for the next few days and it’s noth…”

“What the hell was that?”

“A simple elixir.”

“I’m taking about that Lady Godiva reject, Loki. What happened between you two?”

Loki shut his mouth and sighed. She caught on so quickly.

“I was in a relation with Kylies decades ago. She was fun at first but she was so cruel to everyone around her and it wasn’t fitting in my eyes. We were so close to an engagement and I told her I could no longer court someone without heart or compassion. I realized over the years that she never really cared for me and only wanted the other half of the throne.”

“So it really doesn’t matter that I’m human, she’s just so pleasant with everyone. Glad to know I might have to watch around every corner so that the prince’s personal whore won’t have to fear for her life.”

“Don’t say that. She may be cruel but she doesn’t have moral for murder.”

“No, you’re right. She only superhuman looking for revenge for getting replaced by someone weaker. I’m not stupid, Loki. She’s really meaning on hurting the both of us. This,” she said pointing to the dried blood on her shoulder, “is the work of a sociopath willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. You screwed her over from the throne when you left her and met me. Now she’s on Thor’s arm and that doesn’t bother you?”

“Thor is not as stupid as he really is but I am more than confident that when she leaves for her home, she will end up finding someone with a lesser title than _prince_.”

Loki kissed the back of her hand, unmoving her as she touched her head.

“It still hurts.”

Loki turned to the table next to him as he sifted through the bottles and mixed a few into a bowl and dipped a cloth in the solution.

“Here, lean forward,” he instructed.

Charlotte rested the side of her head on Loki’s shoulder as she saw only a small part of what he was doing. He parted her hair only a bit to find the wound at the crown of her head. The Healers did the best job they could to heal her but none had the experience of exploring the anatomy of a Midgardian like he had. The wet cloth pressed to her head, making her wince as cool potion quickly healed her small gash, tightening the skin as she grimaced.

“There better now,” he smiled as he helped her back to the bed.

“So now what?”

“Now,” he said moving to a different table with designed bottles, “You are to relax, I made you a promise to tend to you, didn’t I?”

“I don’t remember. I was too busy wondering your room in a literal naked state of shock.”

“Indeed,” he said waving his hand as a silk robe took the place of her blood stained dress.

“What are you up to?”

“Tending,” he said as he returned with a tray of colored bottles, “one of the things I have noticed when I visit is that you are always so tired when I see you.”

“It takes a lot of work to be as poor as I am.”

“Your muscles are always so stiff and rippling to heal themselves. It’s a bother that I can’t properly fuck you in the ways that I wish, Gods forbid that you should pull a muscle as I eat you out.”

“ _That_ was only one time doing a double shift near the holidays.”

“Yes, I remember. The whole, small house to yourself. Your whole leg cramped up while you should have been resting but I did enjoy that the bed ended up in pieces.”

Loki unclothed his upper half as Charlotte tried to hide her blush from him.

“What are you doing?”

“Certain oils and lotions can stain and ruin some of our fabrics and I don’t wish to use my magic on anything I don’t mean to.”

“Yeah but you seemed pretty placed at the chance at not wearing any clothes.”

“Just do me a favor and try to relax.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

Loki smiled as he reached for a clear tube. A simple oil fell into his palm as he rubbed them together a single time. Charlotte jumped at his hands, freezing at first but relaxed as the oil warmed her skin. She felt it working deep down in her muscles as the warmth hummed under her skin. Charlotte wanted to close her eyes but began to calm. Loki moved to her other legs, rubbing his hands smoothly into her calves and spending a little more time at her knee.

“How does this feel?”

“Wonderful. I would ask you to stay there but I wonder what else you could do.”

“That would just ruin the surprise, my dear. Turn to your stomach.”

Charlotte turned and was hesitant as Loki pulled the sleeves from her arms. Before she could move, he formed his fingers up and down the muscles of her arms, working in more oils as he watched a smile slowly appear at the sides of her mouth. He waved his hand behind him and quickly locked the doors to make sure no one would disturb them.

He moved for a small round container, dipping his fingers into the thick cream and traced it in a solid line down her back. Charlotte moaned as she felt a soft but noticeable tingle at her back.

“What are you doing now?”

“This is a cream made from the roots of the strongest Asgardian woods. Right now, it’s strengthening you bones and repairing any damage to them.”

“Thank you,” she giggled, “Is this going to give me superpowers?”

“No. These are used on our people in means of mending them from farmers that sow in the villages outside the kingdom to warriors that return wounded from battle. Your body is responding rather well.”

“Probably because I’m in such good hands.”

“Flattery might just get you everywhere, Lottie.”

Charlotte tensed underneath him as she felt a shiver replace the cream.

“Don’t ever call me that.”

“You have my word, Charlotte.”

Loki cursed to himself about invading her dreams. He didn’t really feel guilty at first because of the simple fact that she never told him to stay out of her head but then again, she never knew the extent of his true powers. He wiped his hands off with a towel and adjusted the robe so that only the roundness of her rear was covered. Loki grinned wickedly as his hand found the open bowl of home-made slave that he was saving for that very moment, watching as the thick liquid dripped from the sides like honey. He used a brush and painted her legs, shoulders and her whole back as the salve slowly started to move across her skin.

“Loki? What’s happening?”

“That all depends. What do you feel?”

“I don’t know. Everything feels like its softened. I feels… great actually.”

“That’s the point, my dear but you still don’t seem to be relaxing. Put your arms under your head and close your eyes.”

Charlotte obeyed him and watched his mischievous smirk disappear behind her eyelids. She felt his hands massaging her legs again, her muscle felt relaxed but growing stronger as he traveled up her thigh staying away from in between her legs. He did the same with her arms, starting at her elbow, across the length of her collar bone, then down her spine as he spread the salve evenly over her back. She was waiting for a moment of indecency as his hands traveled over her rib cage.

“Anticipating?”

“Maybe.

“Don’t you worry,” he said massaging the back of her neck with his thumbs, “I’m leaving the more intimate parts for later. Prop yourself on your forearms now that you have the strength.”

She whined as he moved away, instantly missing the sensation of his hands. Loki encased his hands with a quick spell to stop the salves reactions to his skin. He placed the bowl within reach and dipped both hands in with a beam of desire as he met Charlotte’s eyes. Some of her hair had fallen from its bun as it rested around her face. Her arms hid most of her chest with the curvature teasing him forward. He nodded his head and watched as the robe disappeared, leaving Charlotte completely bare. He stepped to the table as she was distracted and spread the salve over her breast as she blushed, looking into Loki’s lust filled stare.

Loki left her in a vague state, leaving a long, passionate kiss to her lips as his hands worked in the salve. Charlotte’s heart raced as her breasts continuously were covered by his hands. He amused himself by giving her nipples a soft pinch as she jumped. Normally, she would have given a small moan but now she was incredibly sensitive as Loki chuckled from his success.

“This is one of my gifts from me to you but this is more of a preview of what is to come.”

Charlotte only buried her face into her arms as she tried to stay quiet. Loki moved one hand down her back as it rested near the starting curve of her cheeks.

“If that had such a reaction, I wonder what would happen if I were to touch the more profound part of you.”

Loki summoned a mirror as the end of the bed as they could see each other. Charlotte saw Loki dip his fingers into the bowl and move to the side of the bed.

“How come none of this is happening to your hands? Can’t you feel it?”

“Magic, my dearest Charlotte.”

He spread the salve over her rear, then slowly circling his hands up Charlotte’s thigh one leg at a time until his knuckle brushed against her lip as she tensed.

“Keep your eyes on me and spread your legs. You will enjoy this deeply.”

Charlotte bit her lip as spread her legs for Loki. He pried her thighs apart and arched his head forward as licked her a single time.

“You have certainly enjoyed this.”

He spread his fingers wide tracing her lips up and down as they moved lazily inward. He stopped, redipping his fingers into the liquid as he generously coated her sex. He collected what he could and slowly pulled into her core as she bucked her hips. Loki held her down as he tsked.

“Now, now my dear. If you can’t behave, I may have to restrain you until I am finished. I do need both hands after all.”

Loki smiled seeing Charlotte in a hungry need of his fingers as they pushed a bit further.

“Have it your way, my quim.”

He waved his hand as leather straps slithered from the corners of the bed, binding her wrists and ankles as she was pulled in every direction. Loki summoned a pillow under her hips as he rubbed himself through his trousers.

“Oh my dear, I really should punish you for putting me in such a state of arousal.”

“You’re the one that tie me up,” she whined as she tried to move her body.

He his two coated fingers into her as his thumb brushed her clit. Charlotte’s whole body tensed at the sensitivity of Loki’s salve as she allowed herself to give in to his hand. Loki waited until she was high enough as he withdrew his hand. He wiped of his hand and knelt beside the bed as Charlotte struggled against her bonds.

“You certainly are a sight, you are. The salve just needs a minute and then you’ll be set.”

“Set for what?! Ah…”

She buried her face into the bed as she pushed her hips into the pillow for any kind of friction. He got to his feet with a sneer as he jerked her up by her head, to force her to look into the mirror. He brought his hand down on her flesh softly to test the reaction of the salve. An excited whine fell from her lips as he smacked her again on the other cheek as she begin to feel herself wet.

He plunged two fingers into her as her eyes narrowed in on his. She knew he was trying to toy with her, to get her to beg. With her limb stretched out, she was still able to clench her walls around his fingers as they slid in and out with his thumb pushing at her clit.

“There,” he whispered as he turned his hand and curled his fingers, finding her spot and making her jump as she felt herself close, “Nothing to say? Not a word?”

He slowed his fingers, feeling the salve dissolve as her wetness spread, dripping down his hand. Charlotte watched as Loki pulled his hand away and dissolved the bonds. Charlotte grabbed the bed as she tried to move without feeling the slightest bit aroused. Loki helped turn her to her back as he eyed her flesh like a feast ready to be devoured.

He pressed himself against her and gave her a single kiss. He stepped back with a clone cleverly replacing him as he shielded himself when Charlotte closed her eyes. His erection stiffened as his clone braced himself over Charlotte.

“I know this is a copy, Loki. You bored with me already?”

“I never could. For now, I want to see firsthand the results of my salve.”

“You made it yourself? What if I have a bad side-effect?”

Loki made himself seen as his clone dragged his tongue down her body as she shuddered.

“The worst that could happen is that you would be in an extended state of arousal. I believe that to be no problem with someone of my carnal experience. I can imagine you now, writhing in leather bonds for hours as I tease you with only my mouth. You’d like that wouldn’t you?”

Charlotte gasped as the clone spread her legs and buried his tongue deep into her. Loki smirked, satisfied with Charlotte’s reaction as he undid his trousers and caught his cock, working his grip tightly over it. Charlotte wanted to pull the hair from her head as she watched Loki play with himself a mere few feet away. The clone purposely slowed his tongue as he licked his lips and moved it in slow agonizing circles around her clit. Her head thrashed from side to side as her voice echoed from the walls.

Loki rounded the side of the bed, watching his lover’s body move in wild waves like the Asgardian South Seas. He pumped his cock, inspecting her as her knuckles began to turn white. Charlotte opened her eyes, feeling nothing but a lightness as she looked up to Loki and his growing arousal.

“You want this don’t you? To have my cock slide down your throat as my copy takes you?”

“Yes,” she whined as tears formed at the sides of her eyes.

Loki looked to his copy and nodded his head as he worked his two fingers into her.

“What now,” asked his copy.

“Let her come. I believe she deserves it for being such a good sport in this experiment.”

The copy nodded he fucked her wetness with his arching fingers and sucked firmly at her clit. Charlotte’s mouth open on instinct as Loki took the sudden opportunity and pushed his cock past her lips. Charlotte arched her neck back for Loki as he braced her neck for his control. Her moan were beautiful as he was painfully close to his release. He opened his hand, careful not to hurt her as he pressed his thumb to her chin to keep her mouth open. Charlotte relaxed her throat as Loki came down her throat with a deep moan. He nodded to his clone as it disappeared.

Loki scrambled for Charlotte’s legs as her scent filled the room. He latched onto her as she fell back to the bed. Loki held her down by her chest as he teased her nipples, pinching softly as he added to the haste of her pending orgasm. He sucked her clit one last time as Charlotte’s back arched from the bed as she grabbed onto his Loki’s to keep herself from floating away. Loki licked everything he could from Charlotte as she slowly came back down.

Charlotte wasn’t together enough to tell him about the hurried, graceful footsteps that were rounding the corner down the hall. She only closed her eyes in a rumbling state of bliss as Loki covered her with the blanket.

“Frigga…” she said pointing to the door before she drifted off.

Loki heard echoes in the hall as he clothed Charlotte and himself, teleporting his tray of goodies to his room to not seem suspicious. The door unlocked itself as Loki quickly sat in his chair next to Charlotte’s bed. Frigga entered the room quietly as she waved for Loki to come into the hall. Loki didn’t want to leave her by herself but he knew nothing would harm her. He hurried to the hall, shutting the door behind him as Frigga waited.

“How is she?”

“She is resting now. I was able to heal the wound fully.”

“That is good news. Hopefully she will be well enough for dinner. What happened at the table, Loki? Kylies looked less than worried as she left with Thor. Even he is asking about Charlotte.”

“It was only an accident.”

“Yes, that seems to happen a lot in Kylies’ presence. Your father is worried. He still hasn’t met Charlotte yet and Kylies’ parentage is pleasing your father. If she is thinking about causing problems so close to tomorrow then I will see to it that no one gets the crown.”

“I understand, mother.”

“Does Charlotte?”

He fell silent as the queen stood vexed.

“You haven’t told her yet, have you?”

“I’m working on it.”

“Seriously, Loki. You are the given God of Lies and you cannot make the simplest of lies. One of you will have to ascend with a bride and your time is slowly running out.”

“It have time,” whispered Loki as he kept looking over his shoulder.

“Do you? How is the potion coming along? She can’t become queen if she is not a virgin.”

Loki’s blood ran cold knowing he was forgetting something.

“Does father know?”

“Boy, the gatekeeper doesn’t even know thanks to me. I even started the potion days ago for efficiency’s sake so that at least deserves a grandchild in my name.”

Loki hadn’t realized tear were falling from his eyes as he threw his arms around Frigga. She laughed as she embraced her son.

“Mother, why are you helping me?”

“Because you love her as Thor loves Jane, only he will not admit it. You have nothing to worry about, my son. Everything will be fine but you need to speak with her when she wakes or the throne will be Thor’s.”

“I’d give up the throne for her if I could.”

“Really? What would you do on Earth? In time, with proper training from us, she would make a fetchingly intellectual queen.”

Frigga turned around leaving Loki to the empty hall as his heart beat from his chest. He couldn’t lie to her but his time was running out. One more day and he would lead Charlotte down the main hall to the All-father in the finest of Asgardian fabrics and jewels as he announced his choice for a queen bride.


	5. I started a joke...

 

Loki carried Charlotte to her room as she slowly woke in his arms.

“I want to walk.”

“You are still weak and I can’t have you about in nothing but a robe.”

“Whose fault is that? I’m already weak, I’m human.”

“Too late. We’re already here.”

Loki helped Charlotte to her feet as she turned the knob and guided herself into before Loki pushed himself into the room.

“What are you doing? Go to your own room!”

“You forget, my dear.”

“Forget what,” she asked as he walked to the only black door in the lightly colored room.

“Oh nothing,” he teased as he walked through the door leading up to his room.

She had completely forgotten about the door Loki had summoned. She opened the door behind him, stepping in and out as she amused herself with the extent of his magic.

“Are you quite done? I wish to get undressed now.”

“Since when has that stopped you before?”

She closed the door to tease him, turning to mess with the door again when the knob flattened itself to the wood. Charlotte searched the door to find it, only looking in the light as the flat metal glowed green. There was a slight knock at the bedroom doors as Charlotte opened them and found a servant girl, bowing as she smiled.

“Hello?”

“My lady,” said the girl, “I am here to help you prepare for dinner.”

“Oh, um, okay. Come on in.”

She stepped aside as the servant girl brushed inside. Charlotte looked down the corridor, seeing nothing but hearing the busy footsteps of everyone within her enhanced earshot. In the row of columns down the other side of the hall, she could feel like someone was watching her. Charlotte knew it wasn’t Loki or one of his clones but she only shook her head as she closed the door behind her. The palace was a big place and she hadn’t had a chance to see it all yet.

“Have you selected a dress, Ma’am?”

“Oh, I only just got back to the room.”

“Do you have a favorite color? Certain choice of dress?”

“Actually do you have anything not so dressy? I didn’t mind the chest plate last time but it felt a bit constricting. It’s hard to explain.”

“We do. If you’ll follow me.”

Charlotte followed the servant to a set of curtains against the far side of her bedroom wall. The servant girl pushed the curtains in one graceful sweep as Charlotte’s eyes found every color of the known rainbow. She could see the metal and silks of the wardrobe as it called out to her.

“Would you like a corset this evening, Ma’am?”

“Something simple, please and I only want to wear earrings. Something small if you have them.”

“We do, Ma’am.”

“You don’t really have to call me Ma’am.”

“My apologies, Ma’am. It’s only an occupational curtesy.”

“I respect that. If you want, my name is Charlotte.”

“Miss Charlotte, how about soft green?”

“I’ve never been accustomed to light colors.”

“Something darker, perhaps?”

The girl grabbed a stool and hoisted herself up to a second shelf of folded garments. She placed a package wrapped in rough material on a chair and pushed it aside as she lifted a deep green, almost black floor length gown. Charlotte ran her fingers over the fabric, smiling as it reminded her of her mother’s hair and how soft it use to be.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It used to be one of the queen’s when she was younger. His highness felt it best to pull it from the older wardrobes to use while you were here. Green is lovely on your skin. Shall we move on to the other garments?”

Corset, undergarments, no to the stockings, a flat part of shoes and no extra train on the dress. There was a well lengthy debate on the jewelry. Charlotte didn’t want to be rude about the servant girl’s suggestion to what was usually worn but Charlotte was at a crossroads to staying as casual as possible or try to make a better entrance after what had happened at breakfast.

“Tis to be a great feast, the All-father will be there after coming back from his ventures. The queen will be so happy.”

For so reason, Kylies came to her mind. This was someone that knew how to hold herself, someone that could bat her eyelash and get whatever she wanted. Charlotte always enjoyed a challenge.

“You know what, do you any necklaces that go higher up the neck like a choker?”

“That’s an odd name for it, isn’t it?”

The servant girl smiled pulling a small box from a hidden cubby. The small velvet box opened in her hands as a small sliver jeweled choker shined in the light from above them. Small emeralds mixed in with the silver as smaller emeralds hung down. She smiled as her hair was pulled into a simple bun. There was also simple make up too. She was never sure it something fancier was being planned, and it was then that she began to regret her choice of dress but she didn’t want to spoil the servant’s hard work.

There was a knock at her door as the servant girl was finishing her preparations. The door opened without giving Charlotte a chance to answer. She turned from her mirror, seeing Loki standing in dark armor close to the color of her dress. Behind him was a flowing green cape, something she was not used to seeing on him. He licked his lips, not caring if the girls had seen him. She curtsied and left them alone as Charlotte stepped forward.

“Well? Aren’t you going to say anything,” she asked passing by.

She picked up the side of her dress and sashayed to the door as she teased Loki with the fabric. Charlotte made the mistake of being careless as Loki grabbed by the arm, spun her and pinned her face first to the nearest wall. Loki pressed his nose to her skin and inhaled the faints oils in her hair.

“I dare you to wrap yourself in an elegant gown again and I shall rip it off, leaving you bare for the whole of Asgard to see.”

“Couldn’t you have said it just looks good on me?”

Loki snaked his hand under the dress and caressed the back of her thigh with a single finger as she bit her lip in anticipation.

“If I could, I would tie you to my bedposts and never let you go.”

“Really?”

“You’d be bare for days on end and all of Asgard would know who was between your beautiful legs,” he whispered as he slowly backed away.

“You’re a fucking tease.”

“As you are, my dear. Shall we dine quickly and call it an early night?”

“Sure. I’d like to see what you’ve got up your sleeve next.”

His cock strained against his leathers as she innocently pranced ahead of him, mockingly shaking her curves to tease him as she exited her room. Loki licked his lips, tempted to take in the hall, in front of the passing servants and guards but it would have ruined the evening. He followed behind Charlotte, stopping for a moment as he closed the doors and enchanted the room behind it. He used a great amount of energy to protect the room and keep it preserved for when the moment was right.

The figure in the shadows watched as the prince and the mortal hurried down the hall in laughter, drawing discuss and hidden heartbreak in her face. She moved in the shadows in secret back to her room as she clenched the vial from her sister in her hand.

“Soon…”

Loki only had a small amount of time to show Charlotte a few of the main halls the palace had to offer. Charlotte held Loki’s hand as he guided her to an open balcony overlooking the royal gardens. Fireflies danced in the evening as she braced herself on the railing.

“God, it’s beautiful.”

“Lean further out and you can see the Midnight blossoms open.”

Charlotte looked over her shoulder to the voices in the halls. She could hear more people arriving in the halls as Loki moved closer. He placed his arm around her waist, leaning her over the railing as her heart began to race.

“Loki, maybe this a good time to tell you, I’ve got a terrible fear of heights.”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered into her ear as he braced them to the railing, “I’ve got you.”

He kissed her cheek and pointed just feet below them to the vibrant orange flowers. The petals began to peak out through the vines themselves as white glowing buds tore through the stems. They unwinded and twisted until the flower petals curls into something unreal.

“A midnight blossom doesn’t need water to grow. It nourishes itself from the lunar energy every night.”

Charlotte held onto Loki as he pulled her to his chest and away from the railing.

“They were beautiful.”

“The remind me of you. Sometimes when I’m here, I look over the edge and think of you.”

“Sentiment,” she snickered. She laughed, taking hold of his arms as he lead them to the hallway.

For a moment, time was suspended. Charlotte’s loving touch as his skin. Her true smile bringing one to his face. There was so much emotion running through him as they almost ran into Thor dressed in his best dinner attire with an eerily ravishing Kylies to his arm. Her skin-tight golden dress would have almost been too much if her eyes hadn’t been so hypnotizing. Memories of Charlotte’s accident clouded his mind with a smile gracing Kylies’ mouth. Like that, the tender moment was gone.

“Brother! Finally able to drag yourselves from the bedchambers?”

“It’s supper, Thor. How isn’t one for enjoying an evening meal?”

Loki turned safely to the doors with Charlotte in tow to make sure Kylies wouldn’t try anything as the banquet hall opened with excitement. Wine was already pouring as servant tended to those at the grand table. Charlotte followed Loki down the impossible large table, sitting her next to him as he pushed in the chair for her like a gentleman. He sat in his own and smiled as he brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckle softly, causing her to blush.

 _Two more days_ , she thought to herself, _and all of this will be over_.

She was hungry as ever, cleaning her plate to perfection as more was brought to her.

“Thor, I saw you have brought Kylies to the table this evening.” Charlotte looked down to the head of the table to the majestic man smiling to Thor and Kylies. She knew Kylies’ smile was fake as she bowed her head.

“Of course, father. I would choose no other.”

The man turned his gaze to Charlotte, making her want to shrink in her seat.

“And who is this? Is she of Vanaheim?”

“Charlotte, this is the All-father, King Odin. Father, this is Charlotte Manning of Midgard.”

“Midgard?”

“Yes, sir. Loki’s been my friend for a few years. He visits me when he can.”

“You are not married? That is a shame.”

“I’m too young in most people’s eyes but I’ll be ready when I’m ready.”

“What do you do on Midgard?”

“Right now, I have a temporary job with moving packages that are mailed. Each job is different. I normally do heaving lifting.”

“I have never heard of ladies winching as a profession.”

“That isn’t entirely true, your majesty,” added Fandral from further down the table, “Lady Sif has done her share of service as a great warrior.”

Charlotte followed a woman’s hearty laughter. She could tell the woman was tall and more muscular than most even though she was sitting.

“I will remember that the next time in training, Fandral.”

“Indeed. That shows great independence, my dear.”

“I still live with my family. It doesn’t seem as independent as I’d wish.”

“Please, tell us of your parents,” he insisted.

Charlotte opened her mouth and tensed not sure of what to say. Her appetite was gone now as she met Loki’s eyes. She never enjoyed having this conversation with strangers, then again, not even Loki knew.

“What’s the matter,” asked Kylies as she sipped her wine, “Afraid of their station on your world?”

Charlotte smiled and folded her hands in her lap, keeping her eyes on her plate.

“I never really knew my father. I only remember him as a man that lived with my mother. I remember he would hit her, burn her skin and yell the worst things to her. Everything changed when he took out his anger on me one day. It was funny because I loved the color blue and it covered both my arms completely but it hurt so badly. She threatened to kill him if he ever touched either of us again. He came after her, saying that he was going to take me away and she would never see me again. His hands were almost around her throat when she grabbed a knife and stabbed him until he wasn’t breathing anymore.”

Charlotte looked up from her place setting to the eyes of the noblemen, the warriors and the servants as they looked on in shock. The entire table had grown quiet. She saw Kylies blush and Thor with his head in his hand from embarrassment. She was scared to meet the eyes of the king or the queen. Out of the corner of her eye, Loki had clenched his jaw.

“My mom ended up dying a few years later when she was struck by a vehicle. My aunt took me in, blaming her death on me but maybe it was my fault, and maybe it wasn’t. Life just happens like that. No one outside the family knows but my aunt, you all are really the first people I’ve told.”

“I didn’t know.”

“No, you didn’t. Why do you have so much hate for me? I barely said two words to you and you turn your nose up to me like your shit doesn’t stick. You wreak of jealousy and why? Just because Loki will go missing for a few days at a time to visit me? Okay, then blame me. He’s the only person in years to ask me how my day is going. He’s the one of the only friends I’ve ever had. He’s a luxury to me. I know there’s going to come a day when he’s going to let me go and I won’t see him again. I know that because everyone does. He’ll marry someone loves him, gives him what he needs and will become a wonderful princess. I’m only enjoying the moment and I’m doing it without what you may think of it. So say whatever you want. I’ll be gone soon and you can laugh behind my back without me being here.”

Charlotte rose from her seat and left the silent hall behind her. Kylies rose from her chair before anyone else and departed from a second door. Loki sighed after holding his breath for so long. He didn’t care that Thor had gone after Kylies or that Frigga had changed the conversation as the table was lively again without Charlotte next to him. Odin placed his hand at Loki’s shoulder as a sign of reassurance as Loki held back his anger.

“Was she your choice,” he whispered.

“She still is, no matter of the actions that take place.”

“Then I suggest you give her a reason to stay, my son or else the throne will go elsewhere.”

Loki moved unnoticed from the renewed laughter and obeyed commands as he stopped in the halls. He hurried to Charlotte’s room, seeing nothing but his surprise still intact as he resealed the room and tried to think of where she could have gone.

“Loki,” shouted Volstagg, “We are headed to the Falls. Are you joining us with Miss Charlotte?”

“I need to find her first, I will take a horse instead of waiting for a carriage.”

He left his companion behind and stopped a servant, giving her Charlotte’s description. The young girl pointed to the balcony where they had been earlier but the curtains were drawn, seeing that the wind blew opened tassels, revealing a soft sob on the other side. Loki walked through the threshold to find Charlotte, sitting with her legs crossed on the thick stone edge. She looked out to the distance as the sun was minutes away from setting. She turned her head to him and wiped away the dark tears that surrounded her eyes in sorrow.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have done nothing wrong, Charlotte. I wish to not know of Kylies further plans.”

“What do you want from me Loki? I have this pain in my stomach and it’s telling me that you’re hiding something from me.”

He knelt in front of Charlotte, holding her hand in his own. The moment had been ruined by Kylies to her benefit only for it to backfire on her. He was dying to tell her she was more than she seemed.

“I’ve seen your nightmares. It was an accident, I swear.”

Charlotte didn’t lash out to Loki and allowed him to comfort her.

“I can’t remember simple things but that’s the one thing I always remember that day down to the last detail. I’m not sure why I’m not mad right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know why I haven’t lost my mind after all these years.”

“Because you, Charlotte are a strong woman able to not let anything conquer her.”

Charlotte smiled as Loki placed a kiss to her lips.

“I wanted to tell you but I just wasn’t sure if it was something to tell.”

“Death or trauma is not something to take lightly but it is important to confide with someone over time. Someone like me perhaps.”

“I just hoped I haven’t ruined the evening.”

“Actually,” he said wagging his finger, “There is something you can do.”

“Get naked?”

“Don’t tempt me, young lady. Come.”

Loki held out his hand to Charlotte as she accepted it and was transported to the stables in a blinding green light. Charlotte was more than surprised to see a few people from dinner loading up in carriages and saddling horses.

“What was that?”

“Magic,” he teased as he led her to a ready darker horse.

He hoisted her up on the saddle and took the place behind her. He could tell Charlotte was a bit fearful of being up so high. He settled his arms around her waist as they started off with the others. She couldn’t remember the last time she was on a horse. Perhaps when she was younger at a school fair but the horses were small and pitiful.

“The carriages have a head start ahead of us but well catch up to them.”

They had been one of the last horses to part from the stables. Charlotte looked around to the garden and tall gates next to the royal stables. She took in every detail of what she saw, amazed at the exotic colors as they were waved ahead by the guards on duty. She saw others waiting on horse, mostly men, only men as Fandral, Thor and a few others on their horses, looking disappointed to Charlotte.

“Our apologies, we thought she was going to take a carriage with the other ladies.”

“That makes no difference, we’ll still make it first.”

“What are they talking about, Loki?”

“Racing to the falls. First one there is the victor and gets first pick of wine and women.”

“Yes,” said Fandral riding next to Loki, only talking loud enough for him to her, “I know what was on those berries,” he said with a wink.

“Is that a challenge,” he snickered.

“Wait, what?”

“Rules are rules, darling. Take my hand and get off the horse.”

“What?”

“Don’t forget to jump back up and trust me,” he whispered into her hair.

Charlotte gathered as much of her dress as she could in one hand and kicked her foot over the side of the horse with a smile. She took his hand and jumped from the horse and hopped back up with Loki’s help as he swung her to the back of the saddle. She was given a few whistles as the dress collected under her, showing off most of her legs.

“What’s the matter boys? Never seen up a ladies’ skirt before? Don’t we have a race to win?”

All of the horses lined up in a row, looking up to the oncoming hills as the second sun was starting to fade.

“Ready?”

All of the riders held the reins steady as Charlotte kissed Loki on the cheek.

“You better win or else the Errol Flynn looking dude is gonna end up eating out my snatch.”

“I believe you are to blame for that, my dear.”

All of the horses set off at once as their horse had a late start. Charlotte held on tightly to Loki as she could as they took to the high hills. She looked over Loki’s shoulder as they were slowly gaining on the rest of the group. She let go with one arm as they rode past Fandral, her blowing him a kiss as they took the lead. Bend after band, their horse darted past the carriages. She didn’t know any of their names but Charlotte waved to them each as the stead passed by. She even gave a friendly wave to Thor as he chuckled in defeat.

On the horizon, Charlotte saw hills the color of clay. She knew not to expect grass with being on an alien planet. The view spread out in all directions with trees and rocks. With the racing party out of sight, Loki slowed the horse to a strong trot, laughing victoriously.

“I cannot be real.”

“What are you talking about?”

“In all my centuries, I have never won the race to the Falls.”

“Then I guess that makes me your lucky charm,” she sighed as she reached around his legs to give his cock a tight squeeze.

“I guess so, now I claim my prize.”

Loki slipped off the horse and pulled Charlotte over his shoulder. He hopped on the boulders near the edge of the Falls and turned. Charlotte grabbed onto his tunic and kicked her feet as she looked down to the falls.

“Loki! Put me down now!!”

Servants had finished setting up tables and carriages had started to pull to the tree line near the tables as the riders dismounted their horses. Loki set Charlotte to her feet as he looked down to the warriors gathered around them.

“Many a year I have not been able to win but I stand victorious with a fair Midgardian charm of luck.”

“So, brother, are we to assume she is your choice of maiden.”

“Well, Thor, we were both on the horse so it’s only fair that we both won.”

“Now that seems unfair. What did she do? Her hands obviously weren’t at the reins.”

“Motivation and navigation.”

 _With her hands,_ Loki thought to himself.

“So without further ado, I will choose the woman and she shall choose the wine.”

He ignored the grumbles from the joining the groups as Charlotte followed Loki to the table of colorful bottles on the other side of the rocks. She put her finger to her lip in contemplation to the variety of colors. Charlotte reached in the middle of the tables, grabbing a deep blue bottle. She took Loki’s hand and pulled him away to a spot by the trees overlooking the falls.

A servant had started a small fire and laid out a blanket for them. Over fires were made, some larger than theirs as wine started to pour.

“So,” started Loki as he spread himself over the blanket, “Why the blue one?”

“I don’t know process of elimination.”

“I don’t understand your process.”

“At dinner, I saw the servant pour red bottles into the pitchers, near the king and queen were ember colored bottles, so they must have been good. The green ones seem like any of the warriors would like it, but this was sitting in a lone bottle next to you.”

“But anything could be in here.”

“Yeah but anything isn’t sealed with a royal symbol. I’ve seen them all over the palace.”

“Well, aren’t you so clever?”

Loki broke the seal from the top of the bottle and took a sip as his eyes closed. The wine fell down his throat like Charlotte’s juices but the wine was nothing compared to her. He handed her the bottle as she took a little.

“It’s sweet like syrup.”

“One benefit to being in the royal family is that you can have any brand of ale made for your liking. Thor has his own stocked with grains only for his physique.”

“Really? He looks like he has a good few years of training to him.”

“A little under a millennia.”

“Millennia? How old are you?”

“1498.”

“Wow. That explains a lot. How long you your people normally stay alive for?”

“Give or take 5,000 years.”

Charlotte smiled as she took another sip of the wine and counted on her fingers.

“So the normal person on Earth can last about 100 years and you about 5,000. I’ll round you up to 1,500. That divided by 100 and…”

Charlotte did what she could to focus as Loki sat up and kissed the back of her neck. She swallowed more wine and tried to wiggle away until he pulled her onto his life.

“Thirty. You’re thirty years old.”

“Are you sure your numbers are correct?”

“Are you doubting me, your highness?”

“I could never doubt you, my dear.”

Charlotte stayed on his lap as he slowly fiddled with the ties at the back of her dress.

“Loki? Who is Jane?”

“She is a woman Thor met on earth years ago. She is a brilliant scientist that caught his eye in his many travels just like you had caught my eye.”

“We made out in the children’s section of that library and I’m glad we didn’t tell you mother about that.”

“There would be no worries there. Even if she did find out, my mother is wonderful for keeping her secrets.”

Charlotte listened to the men shouting drunk around the fires. She found Thor but not Kylies, perhaps she was at one of the other fires. She tried to keep her focus on Loki as his hand found its way back under her dress. Loki did his best to try to spread her legs for easier access for his fingers. Charlotte wasn’t exactly opposed to his sudden antics, blushing as she placed her arm around his shoulder for support.

Loki teased her earlobe with his bottom lip as a guise. To anyone looking, it may have looked like he was whispering a joke into her ear. He was glad for Charlotte sitting on his lap as his cock was hardening at an alarming rate. He cursed to himself for not waiting long enough and possibly ruining the surprise waiting for her.

Daybreak, he promised himself and then he would tell her everything he had been hiding from her. Charlotte reached underneath her, feeling how hard Loki really was as her fingers formed to the front of his pants the best they could. She looked around to the joyous drunken faces, unsure of how to get him alone.

“Oh, my dear. You certainly are a tease.”

“Thank you.”

“I could take you here, now and I would let them all watch. Give Fandral a run for his money.”

Loki arched his finger up to press her clit through the undergarments. Charlotte’s body was already so warm from the salve and the wine that she was ready to strip herself and drag Loki into the woods.

“I need to get you alone right now.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes unless you want everyone to see you fucking me into oblivion.”

“I may do just that,” he hissed as his finger laced under the back of her choker to pull her close, “but I will grant you something rather quick because I have plans for you later.”

Loki pulled his hands away and helped Charlotte to her feet. She turned to the tree line ready to be lost in the moment. Loki gave her a look and Charlotte knew her knees were already giving way.

“Miss Charlotte!”

Charlotte snapped her head around to Kylies as she made her way to their fire. Charlotte held Loki’s hand as her grip tightened a bit. Loki had started to guide her away when she slipped completely from her grip. Kylies stopped and bowed, throwing Loki off completely. Kylies smiled as she towered over Charlotte a bit.

“Charlotte, I would like to apologize for my words earlier. I didn’t mean to strike a nerve of any…”

“Yes, you did.”

“I only came to express a chance to start over. A request for forgiveness?”

Charlotte felt the wine hum her body as she smiled and leaned forward.

“You can kiss my ass for all that I care, hussy.”

Kylies’ smile disappeared and turned to pure disgust.

“You are a rude woman.”

“I’ve been drinking, bitch!”

Loki bit the insides of his cheeks to keep himself from laughing at Charlotte’s drunken independence. The stepped between the two and looked to his horse, ready to take Charlotte back to the palace.

“Kylies, perhaps now isn’t the best time.”

“I can’t tell. She can barely hold her drink! How could you choose someone like her?”

Charlotte snaked her way out of Loki’s arm and pushed Kylies.

“You know what? Be mortal for an hour so I can mop the floor with you!”

“How dare you compare me to cleaning instrument, filth!”

Thor paced towards the smaller fire, guiding Kylies away as Loki lifted Charlotte from her feet and carried her away. He waited until they were near the horses to let her loose.

“You really think you can fight someone of Aesir strength?”

“That’s why I told her to be mortal, duh!”

“Damn. This evening is not going as I planned it.”

Thunder filled the sky as the group looked up and got to their feet. Charlotte looked up and was greeted with fat raindrops to her face. Loki’s turned and began to run off to the direction of the horses and carriages as everyone else did. The landscape was masked in sheets of rain in a matter of seconds as he turned back for Charlotte.

Charlotte ignored the pathetic screams of ruined makeup and drench clothes as she spread out her arms and embraced the rain. She allowed herself to be lost in the warm summer rain. She may have only been in a stupor but he watched as Charlotte spun around with her hair falling from the high bun it was placed in. She used the sleeve of her dress to wipe the drenched makeup away.

“Brother,” shouted Thor from under his raised hood, “It would seem the rains have arrived early this year, have they not?”

“I would agree so!”

“The servants are done and are heading back with the others! We should go!”

“Go ahead! We’ll only be a moment!”

Thor mounted his horse and rode back in the direction of the palace. The sun had finally set as the rain was quickly extinguishing the fires.

“Loki! It’s so beautiful!”

“Yes,” he said placing a hand at her waist, “You are.”

He tilted Charlotte’s mouth to him as he kissed her lips. He could taste the wine deep on her tongue as he held her close, feeling the heart beat from her chest. Charlotte was warm, warm all over and it broke her heart. She was scared in the smallest sense as she felt Loki’s lips leave hers.

“Charlotte. There is something I must confess to you. I was going to wait until we got back to the palace but I fear I may erupt from emotion.”

“Ew.”

Both broke out into laughter as he took her by the hand to the horses. A few of the warrior stayed behind in shelter of the trees nearby to enjoy the rain. Charlotte stopped in her tracks as she turned her head to the darkness, she was sure she could hear it but why could no one else.

“Charlotte?”

“What? Don’t you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“She’s screaming. She’s screaming!”

Charlotte let go of Loki and ran back into the rain towards the rocks.

“Is she alright,” asked Fandral as he helped the last of the servants into the nearby carriage.

“I don’t know.”

“Wait,” called out an older servant, “Where is Raya?”

“Who is Raya,” asked Loki.

“She is my daughter, my Lord. She was sent to service one of the noblemen hours ago and I haven’t seen her since. She wasn’t in any of the other carriages. I swear it.”

Both men looked to Charlotte as she made her way to the rocks. Charlotte ran as fast as her feet would allow as she heard the girls screams. She could always hear her mother crying out for her whenever she was hit or when she was pinned up against a wall. Charlotte was always there with a frying pan as whoever it was backed off and left them alone. Only once did she ever have to use the frying pan on a man’s knee cap, it was on the eve before her mother died. Charlotte remembered shaking and screaming for the man never to move or else she would kill him. Could you have ever have imagined a seven year old defending her only family with a cast iron skillet and barely any strength to call her own?

The screams got louder as she rounded the corner of the rocks. She saw one the noblemen from the dinner table pinning a young servant girl to the table that held the bottle of wine as she screamed for help. Under the rain, no one would have been able to hear her as she screamed for her mother, for anyone to help.

Loki and Fandral watched Charlotte breakout into an infuriating sprint out of sight. Charlotte saw every man that tried to take advantage of the weak. She tore into a run as the man tried to tear open the front of the servant girl’s dress. She slipped a few times in the growing mud and tackled the rather small man to the ground.

“You son of a bitch!”

Charlotte was able to strike him a few times in the face without injuring him. She rose to her feet to help the girl as she cried, clutching at her clothes.

“Are you alright?”

“I’ve been screaming. I-I didn’t think anyone heard me!”

“I heard you.”

Charlotte was pulled from her feet and thrown to the table as the man wrapped his fingers around her jaw. He stopped the moment he saw the prince and slapped Charlotte the minute she got to her feet.

“Your highness, this woman just attacked me. I want her tried!”

“No, your grace. He is lying.”

“Silence, whore.”

Charlotte felt herself turned from the slap as her body hit the table hard. Other warrior had gathered at the edge of the rocks to view the spectacle as the servant was shielded by Fandral. Charlotte blacked out for the faintest moment as her hands collected the edges of the tablecloth, wrapping it around a metal bowl of fruits. She gathered the rest of the cloth in her hands and swung her arms in a circle as she swiftly brought the bowl across the side of the man’s face.

The metallic ping was heard throughout the rains as the warriors gasped at the effect of the blow. The man was Asgardian but it was enough to render him unconscious.

“That is enough for tonight,” commanded Loki, “Fandral, take Raya back to her mother and get him to the dungeons.”

“What about Charlotte?”

They all looked to Charlotte as she stood still. She was motionless as her makeshift weapon slid from her hands to the ground.

“I’ll take care of her. Use my horse to take him back.”

Loki stayed with her until everyone was with the horses. He reached out and shook her arm.

“Charlotte? Charlotte, come back to me.”

Charlotte gasped for breath as if she had been holding her breath the whole time. He could see the tears before they could mix with the rain. Loki enveloped her as she tried to steady her breath.

“Why could no one else hear her screaming? He would have gotten away with it!”

“He is on his way to the dungeons and will answer to my father. Things like this aren’t tolerated.”

“What if he had hurt her and gotten her pregnant? What if he killed her and tossed her over the falls to make it look like an accident?!”

“Charlotte!”

He took her face into his hands and could see the fear in her eyes.

“I was lying, Loki.”

“What?

“I said I didn’t remember why my dad hurt me. I spilled paint on the living room floor. It was an accident because the cup was wet and it slipped. He screamed so loud and I was so scared. The neighbors next door never helped us when my mother would scream and they never helped me either. I heard that girl screaming but she was screaming for her mother. She knew no one else was going to help her!”

Loki was speechless as Charlotte turned for the horses until Loki took her hand. She stopped and wrapped her arms around him. He trained every day with Thor in battle techniques but that pain of defeat to his brother was nothing compared to what Charlotte harbored for years. He kissed her hair and sighed. She fought even though she knew no one else would. She was the right choice.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Why? A young girl is safe with her mother because of her you. You should feel proud.”

“I feel drunk and high off of adrenaline,” she laughed off.

He took her hand and teleported him to his bedroom door. Charlotte blinked, not use to the traveling this way with Loki.

“Not to ruin any surprises but why are we here? What about your horse?”

“It has already been taken care of. Come. I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh goody,” she joked, “I enjoy surprises.”

Loki opened the door to his bedchambers and led her in, closing the doors behind him. Kylies watched from the shadows as they pair disappeared behind the prince’s bedchamber doors. She cursed to herself, thinking her schemes would have pulled them further when it only brought them closer.

She looked down to the two vials in her hand, stolen from her sister Lorelei before she was imprisoned. The first was almost empty but would be enough for Thor. A love spell. It worked well on him and the Lord but not on Loki. In the second was a smaller vial with a darker liquid. She would only have one chance to make the potion count. Bottled death. The death on the All-Father would secure her place on the throne of Asgard, without question or suspicion. Tomorrow night would be perfect timing and the All-Father did always love his berries at a joyous time of celebration.

She turned around and headed for her room, tasting the finish line on the tip of her tongue. The mortal would have to stay out of her way for the time being.


	6. Sunrise

 

Charlotte began to shiver as the cool air hit her wet skin. Loki stripped off his underarmor feeling the same coldness to his skin. She could feel her hair on her skin stand up as he unbuttoned the side of her dress. She watched as his hand raised to the wall. She looked to the door, seeing a green light shimmer underneath from inside.

“What was that?”

“For you. I can’t have you sick, now can I?”

Loki opened the door, revealing his washroom. In the middle was a large pool bath with steaming hot water. Loki turned to the door but was stopped as Charlotte grabbed him by the wrist.

“Stay with me.”

“I can’t, for now. It will ruin the evening.”

“You’re really going to leave me all alone? I promise to be good if you stay.”

“No you won’t, just do this one thing for me. I don’t want the surprise to be ruined.”

“Fine.”

The washroom door closed behind her, leaving her alone to strip. The water smelled fresh and full of herbs, not to mention heated to perfection as she slipped into the water. She didn’t want to keep Loki waiting but the combination of the rain outside and the feel of the water made her want to fall asleep. She accidently pressed her thighs too close together as she was reminded of how aroused she still was from the falls.

Charlotte moved from the bath and searched for a robe. Her brow frowned as she finally gave in. She opened the door a fraction and hoped he was still there.

“Loki? There’s no robe.”

“I know,” he said from the other side as he handed her his own robe. “Put this on.”

Charlotte smiled to herself as she slipped on the robe and appeared to a waiting Loki. She couldn’t resist smelling the sleeve as he filled her senses.

“Took you long enough,” he jested.

“That’s what you get for not joining me.”

Loki took her hand and prayed like Hel she wouldn’t kiss him. The sight of her along with her smile would be enough to ruin what was waiting on the other side of the door. He led her to the portal only for her to stop him at the last second. She stood on her toes and kissed Loki on his cheek. He groaned, growing too hard in his trousers from something so innocent. With a gentle shove, Loki had Charlotte pinned against himself and the door. He kissed her neck, sensing the aromas on her skin and wanting very badly for a release ever since he saw Charlotte earlier in her gown.

“Why can’t you just behave,” he whispered into her ear.

“Because I want to know what the surprise is.”

He held her closely, pushing his hips into her stomach as her head fell back at the feel of his teeth. He stopped himself, still holding her close as he pulled a cloth from his fresh trousers and wrapped it around her eyes.

“All you have to do is trust me,” he whispered into her ear.

“I trust you.”

Loki held her hand pushing the enchanted door. It opened to the candles frozen in places surrounding the room with the warmth meeting them as Charlotte shivered. He closed the door behind them as he led Charlotte to the bed.

“Are you going to tell me or do I still need to wait?”

“As I said before, trust me,” he whispered softer as he pulled the closure of the robe.

The robe untied at his will as Charlotte grabbed his arms. He could hear her breath shaking as he never heard before. He braced her hips, leaving a single kiss to her lips. The shaking stopped as she slowly molded to his body. Her one hand slid up to his neck, pulling him in for more as he felt her heart race.

“I think I enjoy seeing you like this,” he said looking to the robe hanging at her elbows, surrounding her naked body with the silk fabric, “You are beautiful, I wish I could keep you like this for eternity.”

Loki lifted Charlotte from the floor, holding her to his chest as he climbed to the middle of the bed. He placed her at the pillows and pulled the rest of the robe from her arms. Charlotte was frozen on the mattress as Loki slowly moved down her body with his lips. She was tempted to pull the blindfold away but Loki had wanted it this way for her. She moaned as he kissed the tops of her breasts.

He stopped and turned to the room as the candles flickered again, sending the scent to the bed. Charlotte felt a change in her body as the aroma of the candles filled her nose. Warmth flooded her as Loki wrapped his lips around her nipples one by one until they were peaks. Charlotte moaned into the open room, feeling herself more than wet as Loki’s hand began to wonder between her legs.

“I want to feel you.”

She opened her legs a bit, nearly jumping from her skin as his finger touched her clit. She grabbed the sheet underneath him as Loki smiled to the fullest success of his salve.

“Fuck,” Charlotte whined as Loki pushed more against her swelling clit.

“It’s from the salve and the candles, my dear.”

“What?”

“The candles are releasing an aphrodisiac as your body absorb the energy. Can you feel it?”

“Yes,” she answered breathlessly.

Loki stroked lazily at Charlotte’s core and clit with no speed or vigor. He wanted to see her writhe between him and the sheets as she moans went unnoticed from the barrier he had placed around the room. She had held back the simplest of pleasures for so long that he felt he could draw them out deliciously one at a time.

His fingers were slowly coating, dripping from Charlotte as she was more than ready for him but he knew he wanted to wait. He curled two fingers into her as both of their mouths dropped open. Charlotte panted for breath as Loki kept his fingers stroking her at a slow pace as he grew hard in his trousers.

“Loki,” she pleaded as she grabbed onto him.

“Don’t beg me, Charlotte. This is for you. I want to see you let go. Then I will take you as you wish. I promise.”

She relaxed, only to tense as Loki added his thumb to her clit as she slowly arched her back from the bed. Loki snaked his arm under Charlotte to hold her up and suckle her as his hand continued pumping into her. She took in what breath her body would allow as her second orgasm hit harder. Her head fell back to the bed as she cried out Loki’s name. He slowed his fingers, pulling them away from Charlotte as he brought them to his lips and sucked them one at a time.

He looked down to the beautiful image of Charlotte as she slowly writhed on the bed. He pulled the blindfold from her eyes, seeing them closed as tears fell from the corners. She opened her eyes to Loki as he pushed off his trousers and returned to the bed. Loki slowly crawled up Charlotte’s body, taking his time as he placed small kisses on her skin. Charlotte was ready to burst as she felt his cock hard at her thigh. He rested between her legs, not ready for what she wanted so badly. Charlotte reached up, pulling Loki to her lips as he finally gave in. Loki pushed himself in a bit, almost coming at the feel of her wetness. He sucked softly at the crook of her neck, setting fully within Charlotte as she bucked her hips up to him.

She was Heaven, Valhalla itself as Loki moved his hips enough to feel every muscle clench around him, beckoning him to please her. Charlotte refused to hide her voice any longer as Loki lifted her legs onto his arms. He was so gentle now, making every shift of his hips count, every kiss. Charlotte wanted to cry at what was being given to her.

With their time together, they fucked like rabbits but now, he was making love to her, treating her so tenderly that it nearly broke her heart. The pit in her stomach slowly tightened as she was taken from her thoughts. She willed the coil to cease so Loki could stay as he was. Her body betrayed her as she climaxed again in his arms.

Loki only quickened a bit out of habit as he finally came. He hunched over Charlotte, drawing as much of her pleasured cries as he could. Another but weaker wave hit her as her head nearly buried into the pillows from the arch of her back. He grunted, letting himself go as he emptied himself inside of her, falling almost weak to the bed. Charlotte was spent as she tried to pull Loki to her.

“Thank you,” she said as her eyes slowly closed.

Loki pulled Charlotte to his chest as the candles magic slowly started to extinguish. Had they been there earlier, the night would have lasted longer. The heart in his chest broke as Charlotte’s weak arm wrapped around his waist.

“You need to tell her tomorrow,” he cursed to himself.

Loki quickly fell asleep as he held Charlotte tighter in his arms.

-

Loki was still asleep as a fresh warm breeze room through the room as it reached the bed. He didn’t remember opening them as he slowly woke from his great slumber. Loki looked around the room not seeing Charlotte as he threw the sheets back and pulled on his trousers. He went to his room and washroom, unable to find her as he ventured back to her room. She wasn’t in the closet or the washroom.

A soft hum lead him to the balcony as he found Charlotte sitting with her back to the doors. She had his robe pulled closely around her shoulders as she waited for the sun to rise.

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

Loki smiled as he joined her on the reclined chair she sat on. She laid herself out to give Loki room as he laid behind her. He tucked his fresh erection between his legs, not wanting to ruin the moment as they waited.

“The sunset are remarkable but there’s something about an Aesir sunrise that’s too beautiful for words.”

“I think that word is used too much, it’s pretty much lost its meaning now,” said Charlotte after a moment of silence.

The first ray of sun were slowly showing as it met the top of the castle. Loki watched as Charlotte looked to the railing while the sun slowly showed.

“I would know a truly beautiful thing when I see it. The stars are beautiful if you look at them long enough. I feel that the things that are most beautiful are the ones that don’t ask for attention. Is that why you are always so quiet?”

Charlotte laughed as she guided his arm around her waist.

“What season is it here,” she asked.

“Your people would call it spring.”

“I like spring. It still cool but its calming,” she said as the first sun filled the balcony with warm sun. Loki closed his eyes as he pulled Charlotte close.

_Tell her. Tell her now._

He never had the chance to open his mouth as the precious moment had put him back to sleep.

-

_Loki, wake up._

He expected the sun blind him but found it as he rolled to his back. Charlotte stood over him, shaking him gently as he took in the sight of her. She had tied her hair back and was wearing a simple morning dress. No jewelry, no silver chest plate, no makeup plastered on her face. She was so beautiful that he wanted to pull her down to the chair and make love to her again but he knew he was running out of time.

“Charlotte,” he said sitting up, “There’s something I must tell you.”

“My lady, time is off the essence!”

“I know, he’s awake now.”

A young servant boy appeared at the balcony doors with worry in his face.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“The queen told me to fetch you at once. She said it was a matter of great importance.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“I’ll still be here, you can always come back. You’ve got a lot to show me before I leave tomorrow.”

Loki shook his head and smiled.

“Yes, you are right. I will be back,” he said pulling Charlotte in for a kiss.

“Are you okay?”

“Just don’t open the door for anyone except for your servant girl or me. Promise me.”

“Okay, I promise.”

He let go of Charlotte’s hand and followed the servant boy out of the room as he clothed himself with the snap of his fingers. Loki wanted to turn his own corners but the servant boy looked over his shoulder, urging him in another direction. It she wasn’t in her chamber, where was she?

Loki was led to the great hall as banners and tapestries were set in the high ceilings. Flowers were placed around the hall and table were quickly being filled with place settings. Loki found Frigga near the center of the hall giving orders of where food was to be placed. She turned feeling Loki behind her. She embraced her son, slipping a vial into his tunic. She stepped back smiling.

“Be sure she takes this before the ceremony tonight,” she whispered in his ear.

“I will.”

“I’m betting all of my magic that you still haven’t asked her yet,” she said setting back.

“There were complications.”

“And our guest has been sent to the dungeons accordingly.”

They both turned at the voice of the All-father as he looked around the great hall with Thor at his side.

“Yes and what of the girl?”

“In the healing room with her mother. She had a few minor injuries.”

“Father,” interrupted Thor, “Servants are not allowed in the healing room.”

“Son, others have come forward and one with his seed on the way. He is never allowed in this palace again. If it wasn’t for Charlotte, that young girl would be faced with a terrible fate. Now, have you both chosen your brides?”

“I will speak to Kylies as soon as we are finished.”

Loki panicked feeling Thor would gain the throne under Kylies influence, instead of picking Jane.

“Charlotte’s people have customs in engagement. If I was to take her as mine, I wish to do it properly and not rush her in front of the entire assembly of Asgard. I want it to be special for her.”

“A wonderful proposition. She’ll hardly so not at such a gesture.”

“Yes,” agreed Thor, with a defiant glint in his eyes, “Perhaps I shall ask Kylies in a more fashionable gesture. I will be the one to ask her in front of everyone so they know I’m not ashamed of my choice of woman.”

“I am not shamed of Charlotte! She deserves something of a distinctive nature and I’m not going to parade her around like a prized bull.”

“Enough,” said Odin with a wave of his hand, “You both need time apart from your choices so no trouble will come to the events of tonight.”

Odin departed from the great hall and Thor took his own exit, preferribly to the training grounds. Loki turned for his room as Frigga stopped him.

“She’s not there, Loki.”

“What?”

“Odin ordered her moved and she agreed. I haven’t told her anything but she will stay with me. She will remain safe.”

Frigga smiled as he slipped a small silver ring into his hand. The band was embroidered with several small emeralds and amethysts. It would add to her beauty indeed.

“Thank you, mother.”

“Have her drink this before you propose. I’m not sure how much it will take to work so the sooner the better.”

“Can’t you give it to her?”

“I am not the one to ask for her hand, my son. It has to be you. Try not to act so obvious. Everything will play out as it should.”

Frigga turned to the nearest servants as Loki turned for his room. Charlotte was kept several floors above him as he smiled. He wanted very badly to project himself but he felt it was for the best that he didn’t see her. He stopped and turned in the opposite direction towards the library. He had remember reading about the famous works of love, and triumph from the men of Midgard.

He wanted everything to be breathtaking for her. He had the potion to make her innocent again and the ring for his proposal. All he needed was the balcony across from the great hall, filled with flowers and the words to inspire him for Charlotte’s hand. With no parents to give them their blessing, he would make the most of his magic to make the question worthwhile.

He closed himself off in the library and scaled the shelves in search of the words he was falling short of…

Charlotte’s breath was taken away as she was led to the chambers by the queen.

“Wow,” she said as Frigga guided her in, “it’s beautiful.”

“You can stay in here for today. Loki has a few things he must do as an obligation to being the prince.”

“Good, it’ll give him something to think about other than me.”

“I fear I must slip away for a moment but I will return.”

Charlotte was left alone with a few servant girls to prepare for the evening ahead. Frigga opened her secret chambers in the next room as she looked to her cauldron. She was weak for a moment, shielding herself from Heimdall but it was all necessary. She was committing treason for helping Loki with her potion but it was essential that Kylies not take the throne.

She didn’t have the proof of anything to imprison Kylies but she kept her guard up. She knew Charlotte’s accident at breakfast the previous morning was staged by Kylies but was easily played off under her nose. Frigga looked to the bottom of the pot and smiled. She poured the rest of the contents into a second smaller vial. She looked to the impossibly clear liquid as she slipped it into her robes. It was always safe to have a backup plan, especially if something was to be amiss.

Frigga hastened to the balcony athwart to the bustle of the great hall. She had read Loki’s mind at how he wanted to propose to Charlotte but she smiled understanding he knew nothing of Botany or what she may have liked. Frigga pulled a separate green vial as she opened it and poured the contents over the stone of the balcony. She watched the liquid crawl to the flower below and above her as the vines glowed brightly.

It would be a few hours until everything blossomed to perfection and it was one last thing Loki had to worry about. She smiled, feeling the heart in her chest ache at the thought of Charlotte’s face watching the flowers bloom for her.


	7. How to save a life

 

 

 

Charlotte waited. She waited to for the dream to stop and to wake up to her normal life before Loki because she knew all of this had to be a dream. At least, she had stopped dreaming of her mother’s death for now. Charlotte did wake as a servant girl woke to help her pick out a few selected dress for the banquet. She was worried at first that no one would tell her what the banquet was for but she only figured that such things took place in a royal palace on the other side of the universe.

She stood in her robe next to the servant girl that pointed out the features of each dress. The dresses were all magnificent and breath-taking. She wanted it to count, the dress had to not only top Kylies but she wanted Loki to take one look at her and give her a reason to skip the banquet altogether. She would deny him the entire evening and make the most of her stay and then she would let Loki have his go at her.

She felt the fabrics one by one until she came to a decision. It was hidden by the ruffles and the layers upon layers. It was a haltered dress from what she could tell. The color was more than she could described. It was a blended forest green and steel that would change whenever she moved in the light.

Charlotte was helped in the dress. She was scared at first that it wouldn’t fit but since her stay, she noticed that no one looked like they starved themselves, not even the fit looking servants. She could feel the nimble little fingers buttoning the back of the dress as Charlotte tried not to hold her breath. It fit like a glove as she was led to sit in front of the mirror as the servant girl helped with the makeup. Charlotte wanted to keep her eyes closed, waiting to see the transformation for herself as she was given earrings to wear by the queen with by coincidence matched the silver dress.

“All finished, my lady!”

Charlotte opened her eyes to the mirror as she saw the newer mirror in front of her. She looked more of a creature than a lady and knew why Loki would have wanted her. The thought made her stop smiling at least on the inside. She thanked the girl and dismissed her as she kept looking at her reflection in the mirror. Under the makeup and expensive fabrics, she was a decent looking woman but always felt second best compared to everyone she met. She had long since stopped looking for someone to be with because she knew they would always leave.

Loki looked through his mother’s mirror. He had been sitting at his desk, refusing to let servants help him dress. It would all be done with a snap of his fingers and there was just so much to do. Time was not on his side but he had help. He had his mother that told him of the balcony and Fandral to make sure she was kept safe until then. Hours had passed with his desk littered with vows, promises, words he kept forgetting whenever he thought of her. He didn’t realize how badly he was sweating until he looked into the mirror as he watched Charlotte.

He would have grown hard in his trousers any other time but when he looked into Charlotte, he saw a goddess waiting for her savior, waiting to be swept off her feet. He could hear her thoughts, her doubts. He had hours at best before she was depart. He was going to be damned if he was going to let her go. Frigga entered her son’s chambers with a smile on her face as she saw the raw emotions of her little boy.

“She truly is a vision, isn’t she?”

“I know something is going to go wrong, mother.”

“Fandral is on his way to her, but you need to go now before she _and_ your father gets there. The hall is already filled.”

He smiled over his shoulder looking to his mother, waiting in her finest gowns. He waved his hand, dressing in his most exceptional armor as he left his hours of panic behind him.

“Whenever I’ve been in battle, I’ve never been as terrified as I am right now.”

“You think she’ll say no.”

“I feel I won’t have enough to say.”

Frigga entered the hallway with her son, heading in the direction of the Great Hall with smiles on their faces.

A knock shook Charlotte from her thoughts as she paced to the door. She stopped wanting to go through the black door but let her gut convince her otherwise. She opened the door as Fandral bowed in his polish suit.

“My lady, you are simply too sumptuous for words.”

“Ew. Where’s Loki?”

“He is handling a few last matters but the he has tasked me to deliver you to the main hall.”

“Are you sure? I’d feel best waiting.”

“He also wanted me to tell you not to think about going through the other door because he will be waiting for you near the balcony near the Great Hall. Not sure why there is really only one door to this room…”

Charlotte smiled as she left the room with her arm around Fandral’s arm, feeling important as she was led through the halls until they ended up in front of the large doors of the Great Hall. Fandral smiled, bowing to her and kissing her hand as he disappeared into the sea of golden hues. Over all the sounds, she could hear the curtains buzzing. She waited as long as she could next to the long curtains but she was hypnotized by the laughter and merriment that called her forward. She was surprised as people turned to her, greeting her as they continued on. The hall was exquisite with banners and light. Everywhere she turned there were smiles and plenty of wine. She beamed, taking the first unoccupied goblet within her reach as she took in the evening around her. She would try like hell to make the most of this.

Loki stood at the throne seeing Fandral bow to Charlotte. He took in a deep breath and nodded to the king. Odin looked over his shoulder to the doorway seeing the young woman waiting by the curtains to the south balcony.

“Well, what are you waiting for? I am not the one to ask for her hand. Go to her.”

Loki failed to hide his happiness as he waved through the crowds to the entrance, seeing Charlotte gone. She hadn’t moved fast enough to be seen down either of the hallways. He turned to the balcony, seeing not of the pleats out of order. Loki turned in a quick panic as he found himself face to face with Kylies.

“Good evening, Loki.”

Kylies’ looked like she was the birthed daughter of gold itself. Her hair had been spun into storm of curls at the top of her head. Her dress covered her skin, almost too tight in various aspects and her makeup looked like it had been caked on in many layers. Something like that may have sent the Lord of the Asgardian court in a rampage but it no longer consumed him, not anymore.

“That is _your highness_ to you, Lady Kylies.”

“I’m sure you have something special planned, don’t you. Certainly not something you would do for me. I would have laughed in your face. So much talk is going around that Thor is to make a grand spectacle. Trumpets and the whole deal. I never thought he would ask me.”

“I know you have him under your control.”

“It certainly wasn’t my quim, seeing as how a woman of innocence is to take the throne.”

“I will find out what you are planning. You are not intake from what I remember.”

“I have my ways but its nothing that you could see. Nearly a decade and you didn’t see either. Now if you’ll excuse me, your highness.”

Kylies entered the main hall with most of the taken males dropping their jaw to the polished floors with their companions left in jealous and slight anger that was washed away with wine. Loki knew the power Thor assumed power, Kylies would be whispering in his ear as they rode Asgard straight into Hel. Loki set off into the celebration in search of Charlotte. His time was slowly starting to disappear.

Frigga waited at the top of the throne steps, watching down on her eternal children as she thought about the night that Odin had proposed to her. Nearly a millennia before the battle of Jotunnhiem the same celebration had taken place but she was already smitten by Odin and his noble nature. She waited all night until he pulled out a ring and asked her to be his. She hadn’t realized the whole of Asgard was silent as the banquet and turned in their direction and applauded when she agreed to be his.

She was taken from her thoughts as she spotted Charlotte with a goblet in her hand as she watched the dancing couples on the floor. The servant girl had done an exceptional job with dressing Charlotte to her fullest potential. The young woman’s hair had been combed to perfection in waves over her shoulder. She snuck in the dress, hiding it under the ridiculous fabrics that she knew Charlotte would dismiss. The earrings given to her would more than help any as a way to keep her protected with a charm should Kylies try anything? She turned her gaze to Odin conversing near the table of food and to Loki as he looked in every which way for Charlotte. Her smile subsided as she found Thor entering the hall with not only but his dress armor but with his helmet on for all to see. The moment was at a standstill as Kylies disappeared from her sight.

Charlotte felt a warmth throughout her body, not caring if it was the salves or the wine but there was one thing missing as she turned to the table of food licking, her lips. She looked down to her empty goblet, ready to be rid of it as she set off behind her to find an empty tray. She thanked a servant, having a young man blush at her kindness as she turned to the whispers about the throne.

Charlotte watched as Thor greeted his mother, whispering into her ear. She still couldn’t find Loki but she looked to the King, enjoying himself and the moment as he popped several treats into his mouth. Charlotte liked seeing this with no reason as to why.

“Excuse me.”

Within an earshot, she cringed at the sound of a bitch’s voice. Over her shoulder, Kylies was waving down a servant with berries. Kylies reached into her pocket, pulling something out as she distracted the servant. She pointed to the king, pouring something over the berries as the servants head was turned.

“Kylies!”

Thor roared as Charlotte rounded a pillar so she wouldn’t be seen. Both woman heard the vial smash in pieces as it dropped to the floor.

“Thor, dearest. You frightened me!”

“It is time, come.”

Charlotte slowly moved around the corner watching a second servant pick up the glass. The first servant with the tray had already gone, making it halfway to the king as the servant on the floor cursed, having cut herself with a shard of the vial. Charlotte watched in horror as the girl’s hand turned black as she winced in pain. She and another servant rushed to her side, being plainly ignored by the drunken guests. The girl slumped dead in the servants arms as Charlotte looked to the pieces around them.

“Is she dead?”

“Oh gods, no!”

“Clean up the glass and make sure no one else cuts themselves.”

Charlotte stood to her feet and turned back to the table. The King had already eaten a handful of berries and set the tray next to him for his own consumption. Her heart stopped as Odin put a hand to his chest.

She set out across the floor, fighting the guests to make her way to Odin as she looked to the throne for help. Thor held Kylies by the hand as Frigga looked to them in happiness. Loki had just begun to climb the throne but she knew there was no point in stopping as the King fell to the floor, unable to breathe.

Everyone at the throne turned to the screams at the banquet tables as guards were busy pulling Charlotte away from the All-father.

“Oh gods,” shouted Kylies, “She’s trying to kill him!”

Loki had turned to the crowd but Thor rushed past him to the table with rage in his eyes. Loki reached out for Charlotte through the commotion but she was yanked away by Thor as he tossed her to the guards.

“Get him to the healing room!”

Guards started to swarm the king but there was a break in the mob of metal as he saw Odin’s face turn blue. More shouts filled the great hall as Charlotte wrapped her arms around the King’s waist and jerked him upright. Odin clawed at his throat as Charlotte held on tighter to him and pulled harder.

It took two guards to pry her away and shackle her. Loki darted forward and stopped them from hauling her away to the dungeons.

“Loki! You need to help him! I know what to do!”

“Unshackle her now! That is an order!”

“What is the meaning of this? Arrest her,” barked Thor.

Odin braced the floor as he tried to breathe. Charlotte slipped from the open cuffs and dove for the king as she hauled him to his back.

“Loki, I need you to get his armor off now.”

He obeyed her, waving his arm to show off the All-father’s underarmor. Frigga was too caught up in calming the hall as she used her magic to push any unnecessary people away from the King. Charlotte worker her arms under the King’s stomach as she tried to get a hold of him. She didn’t care that she ripped the side of her dress to better anchor herself as she wrapped her arms around his waist and thrusted up as she practiced when she was younger.

Charlotte continued, blocking out every face, every scream as the focused on the king. If he hadn’t swallowed the berries all the way then there was a chance. She just had to get them out.

“Alright! That is enough! I want her tried for treason!”

“She’s helping him, daft man or would you like our father to die?!”

“You hold your tongue, brother or you will join her!”

The bickering ceased the second wet berries flew from the King’s mouth onto the floor. A few ladies screamed at the sight of the mess as a guard helped with the king. His lone eyes shot around as Charlotte stayed.

“Sir, are you okay? Can you breathe?”

“Get away from him, wench!”

“Your girlfriend tried to poison him!”

Charlotte turned watching Kylies hurry from the hall and away from the commotion. Loki looked to his mother as she rushed to the King. Loki turned seeing Charlotte gone again. He saw Kylies rush away with Charlotte at her heels.

“Both of you,” he order to two waiting guards, “Come with me.”

Charlotte picked up her dress and followed down the halls as Kylies turned a corner. She was stopped as a hand shot out from the darkened and pulled her from her feet. Her breathing was cut off as she looked up to Kylies as wrapped her fingers around her neck.

“I was so close! Now I’ll just have to kill the both of you!”

Charlotte shot her hand up and struck Kylies square into her throat as she was sent into a coughing fit. Charlotte turned and scrambled for the empty hall as footsteps approached. She was pushed to the ground as Kylies stomped her foot down, breaking Charlotte’s arm with a smile to her lips. She shrieked in pain, sending a wonderful thrill to her spine. Another minute and someone would find them but it was all she needed to the mortal underneath her.

“I am going to bathe in your blood and smile from that throne!”

She wrapped her fingers tighter around Charlotte’s throat as she was unable to fight back. She fought though, seeing her mother stepping off the sidewalk one last time. She sun blocked her eyes as Loki took her mother’s place as a darkened haze waited for him to turn into the road. Her vision went to black as she gave into the death the bitch had bestowed upon her.

Loki ran with the guards prying Kylies from Charlotte as she snarled and kicked with anger and madness.

“Enough!”

Loki ignored a gasping Odin as his footsteps thundered the hallway.

“Charlotte, please wake up! You need to wake up! Please, just do this for me?”

She woke gasping for breath as she looked down to her broken arm. Loki saw the damage as Charlotte passed out in his arms.

“I need a Healer!”

“Send them both to the prisons! That is an order!”

So much had happened as Charlotte was taken from him. He tried stepping forward to the guards alongside Thor who wanted Kylies free. Thor was the first to be dragged away by the guards as Frigga reached Loki in time, shielding him and preventing him from getting dragged away as well. Loki felt the breath taken away from him as the silent hall pulled him back to reality.

“Mother?”

“I don’t know what to do, Loki. I can’t go against his word but we have to get you to the healing room now.”

“What?”

A pain shot in his leg as he looked down to his side. Sometime during the struggle for Charlotte, the vial had broken, cutting into his side with the excitement keeping the pain at bay.

“We have to help Charlotte, mother. I can’t leave her down there.”

Loki felt dazed as the blood loss made him weak. Frigga ushered a guards help as she kissed his cheek.

“You just leave everything to me, my son.”

Frigga waited until the guards were gone as she slipped into the shadows. She burst into tears as the evening played in her mind again. Never had something like this happened. She straightened herself up and headed for the spare bottle in her chambers. Certain things could wait the extra day…


	8. Already gone

 

The darkness had pulled her to the sidewalk as he stepped out in front of the car. She gave him a mighty shove and damn near pushed him to the other side of the road as the car sped in slow motion. It hit her arm first, striking directly in the middle as pain coursed her entire arm.

She remember how hard Kylies slammed her foot to the ground.

_I’m sorry._

“I bet you are.”

The force of the car shook her whole body as it took the breath from her chest.

She remembered waking in Loki’s arms, in unbearable pain and not able to speak as he saw her arm. The pain was too much.

_Lorelei, please?! I didn’t this for you, for us! Please just look at me? I’m sorry._

The feeling in her arm was almost gone but the stinging hum made her wake. She felt weightless, being lifted from the ground as the flash of green disappeared from vision.

“Loki…”

A bright luminance filled her sight as the car stopped beside her. The door opened as a woman rushed to her side.

I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen.

Charlotte looked to her mother tears streamed from her eyes. She looked to the broken, swollen arm, failing to bite back her tears as she closed her frail hand around the break.

“Mom? What are you doing?”

She bent her head down and kissed her forearm as the pain began to subside. There was a snap that hurt like hell as her skin began to regain its color.

“Mom?”

She only smiled, standing up as she disappeared into the light. Charlotte opened her eyes slowly to the impossibly bright room as she turned her head slowly. She had the worst possible headache as she tried to sit up. Through the light she could see a heap of gold on the other side of the room. Charlotte blinked until she saw Kylies in a strange position. She was on her knees, leaning as close to the shining glass without trying to hurt herself. There was blackened tear marks on the side of her face, her hair was disheveled and messy as she called out to the woman in room next to her.

From what she could see, the woman had a caged wrapped around her neck, covering most of her face. She had the same fairness as Kylies and the same eyes with the exception of them being glued furiously to the floor. She got to her feet and faced the other side of her room as Kylies broke down in tears.

“Please! He had to pay! I would have been queen and mother would have been proud. I could have gotten you from the dungeons!”

“Would you just shut the fuck up?!”

It was strange for Charlotte to hear her own groggy voice fill the room as she pressed her back to the bear wall. Kylies turned to her with a snarl in her lip as she turned to pounce in Charlotte’s direction. She got to her feet, ready to defend herself as she pulled her arm back to swing. Kylies stopped, ramming into a hidden clear wall that scorched the side of her face. She shrieked in pain as Charlotte stepped back in surprise, the wall shimmered with electricity before shining back into a flawless barrier as she saw the side of Kylies’ face charred black.

“Now it matches how you look on the inside.”

Both women turned to the second open wall on Charlotte’s side of the room as they saw Odin standing stronger in his royal robes. Frigga was behind him with her head down but her eyes turned up to Charlotte. She looked around behind them, seeing other rooms but with savage looking man and terrifying looking beasts.

They had been put in a prison but Charlotte wondered why she was there with Kylies. She looked down to her arm wrapped in a bit of metal armor. She could feel the hum under the metal, surging her whole body as her fracture hurt less and less.

“I found the vials, Kylies. Do you really think Lorelei ever had the use for a love potion when she had ways of her own to rule? I’m getting a laugh at the way she refuses to look at you. Enjoy the next few minutes of your life. You are going straight to the axe as I fix whatever you did to my son.”

“Wait, wait! Please your majesty? I can’t…”

“Can’t die? It’s so nice to know that when you tried to poison me in the assembly of Asgard. I hope you made your piece with the Gods. I pray you never enter Valhalla.”

Odin turned to Frigga and a few of the guards as the room opened. Kylies backed away as much as she could without touching the glass. She looked to Charlotte with disbelief.

“I had him in the palm of my hand. Why did he pick you? You are so weak and infirm. You probably already said yes. Enjoy the throne, putrid bitch.”

A few guards entered through the wall, storming after Kylies as she tried to reason and pray. Then there was fighting and kicking. Charlotte closed her eyes and covered her ears as Kylies was dragged away, disappearing down the halls as the men and monsters roared and clamored. Charlotte opened her eyes as tears flooded her vision.

“I don’t want to die.”

“I have no reason to execute you, young Charlotte. You saved my life unless that heroic attempt was a failure to end my life.”

She stood silent for a moment.

“Then why am I here? I thought the guards…”

“We have no idea who or what Kylies has done to the extent of her sister’s magic, so we put you here for your protection but it seems that Lorelei herself wasn’t involved. I admit you were a bit aggressive but I thank you for saving my life, it is probably more magnanimous than you understand in this moment.”

“Your arm should be better within the hour, Charlotte.”

“Thank you.”

Odin waved his hand, dissolving the mirror as he ushered Charlotte from the cell. Frigga flung her arms around her shoulders, covering her with a cloak while Odin was turned as they started from the dungeons. Charlotte looked over her shoulder to Lorelei’s cell seeing the edge of her eyes. She could tell the lotions were starting to wear off but she knew from the hurt and the tears. Her sister had saw the death of someone that was her sister.

Charlotte bit back the tears that would have been there as she clung to Frigga. Now that no one was trying to kill her, she had to ask about Loki.

“Is Thor going to be okay?”

“We are keeping him benumbed until he is clean from whatever Kylies gave him. Thor is a proud young man. It won’t be easy for him when he knows he was being used. Loki is resting as well.”

“What? What happened to Loki?”

“There was a great amount of excitement and Loki was injured. He is in the Healing Room as we speak.”

Her heart stopped as she thought about Loki, forgetting about him through all the commotion.

“I don’t want to overstep my boundaries but can I… may I see him? I just want to see him.”

“I don’t see why not,” said Odin as he embraced Charlotte.

He waved for a guard to take her as he kissed her hand.

“He made a wise choice of companionship, indeed.”

Charlotte opened her mouth to ask but couldn’t find the words as she was led away in the direction of the Healing Room.

-

Loki took a breath and stretched out on the bed. All he could think about was Charlotte. He needed her, he needed to tell her, hold her. He sighed as his heart began to race, feeling a burning in his chest and the ring still in his trousers along with other things. The potion left a sterile smell to his clothes but he kept them on as a reminder of why this was all happening. He wanted to see Kylies at the mercy of the axe. He enjoyed a good execution when they happened ever few years but he was going it up for Charlotte. They told him to rest and he did but he couldn’t sleep, not until he saw her.

He got to his feet, perhaps sneak past the guards and take her to the balcony. He pulled on a fresh tunic as two sets of feet were heard headed for his room. Perhaps another healer telling him to stay put. He would only ignore them but he didn’t ignore Charlotte as she slipped through the door silently.

His heart pulsed at the sight of her as did his cock but it was more than that. Everything in him wanted her and only here.

“Charlotte!”

She turned at the sound of his voice, racing to him as the cloak flew behind her. Charlotte wrapped her arms around Loki as she held him tightly.

“Frigga said you were hurt.”

“Me? Your arm. It was in two.”

“Your mother said I could be fine in an hour. She really must be something with her magic. I gotta say it’s been fun being your companion, man. Is it always this exciting?”

Charlotte wanted to say more but knew the day wouldn’t last forever. She only looked into Loki’s eyes once as the whole of his world began to crumble around them. She started to feel something that the salves didn’t enhance. Loki held her close, pulling her in for a kiss as she slowly molded to him. She could feel a change in the way he kissed, the way he didn’t try to tear away her clothes. It was all different and she didn’t care, she wanted whatever it was.

“I don’t want you to go but I can’t take you from your life on Midgard.”

That’s when she knew what it was and it was enough to break her.

“I’m just a heartbeat, Loki. Even if I could, I would be dust in the bat of an eyelash.”

It wasn’t true. One promise, one marriage and they would have decades, centuries just as his mother and father. Together.

“Charlotte, please…”

“And if I don’t go home, they’ll know. Julie will box my things away and I like my books…”

“Tell me what to do, Charlotte. Tell me what you need…”

“I-I…”

Something was wrong and she couldn’t ignore it but he was making it harder as he placed a deep kiss at her lips. She gave in kissing him back as he lifted her from her feet. He swiped the tools and bowls from his table as he set Charlotte on the edge. She held on tightly, waiting to wake up with her broken arm.

Heaven and Earth were spinning in her head as she held onto Loki pushing up her skirts. A door thundered open as Thor stumbled in. He was half naked as he turned in every direction, setting his sights on Charlotte as Loki tried to shield her.

“Whore!”

“Thor what is the meaning of this. Since when have you spoken towards a female like this?!”

“You mortal! Simple insect, it should be you at the axe’s blade instead of her!”

“She almost killed the All-father, brother!”

“And you. I saw what you were about to do with her. I will live forever and refuse to give you the throne. You and your wench will be thrown in the dungeons and you will never see the light of day.”

Charlotte looked over Loki’s shoulder seeing Thor’s pupils completely dilated.

“What did she do to you,” she asked as Thor moved closer.

“You, Charlotte Manning of Midgard, are unworthy to take the throne. You are a trollop and when I am King, I will break you engaged status and leave you to rot in the dungeons.”

“What the hell is he talking about, Loki?”

“Thor, mind your tongue!”

Guards rushed the room to restrain Thor as he was held down and tied to Loki’s bed. The cogs in Charlotte’s head started to turn as Thor turned his eyes to her.

“You never asked her, did you brother?”

“Ask me what?”

“He really is the God of Lies,” he chuckled as he pulled at his restraints.

“Loki, what is he talking about?”

“You need to get away from him.”

“I almost died on a few occasions since I’ve been here, I want an explanation. You owe me that.”

“What is going on?”

Frigga rushed in alone as she looked at the scene in front of her.

“That’s a very good question, your highness. Loki?”

Loki turned his eyes to the floor, tongue-tied but it wouldn’t matter now.

“Either you tell me right now or I’m going home and you will never hear from me again.”

“Charlotte…”

She waited and turned to the door.

“Frigga, what going on?”

“My husband is old, older than you can imagine and feels it is time for whomever he deems worthy to ascend to the throne. Both of my sons are ready or at least I thought they were.”

“And where do I fit in with this?”

“One of the requirements to ascending the throne is a choice of bride. Loki was supposed to tell you.”

Bride. Charlotte swayed on her feet as she braced the wall behind her. She felt it in her bones, the past few days, the kindness, the kisses. Everything that had led up to this point.

“And when were you going to tell me about anything? We’re you just going to wait until the last minute and try to sway me off my feet, like I’d cave in like an idiot?!”

“Don’t say that…”

“Shut up!”

Charlotte’s hurt voice rang throughout the Healing room, sending a chill to Frigga’s spine. The young woman shook her head as she regained her breath.

“You could have told me sooner. You could have told me sooner about everything. You lied to me. I wouldn’t have pissed off Kylies if you would have told me about her. Don’t you understand that you were distracted by me that she almost destroyed you and your family.”

“You wouldn’t have understood.”

“Because I’m mortal?”

“Stop, I didn’t say that.”

“I did,” said Thor as he tried pulling again from the bed.

Charlotte did her absolute best to hold her tongue and not look to Thor’s smug face.

“Take me home,” she whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

“Please…”

“I said to take me home.”

“You have…”

“Take me home now!”

Her voice echoed the empty hall again as everyone stood still. Loki stood up straight.

“No. You are mine.”

She smiled and turn to her right and walked in the direction of the queen. Still, Charlotte kept her eyes to the ground so she won’t see her tears.

“Your majesty, is there a way I can go home before I snap either of your sons’ necks?”

Frigga looks over her shoulder and sighed as she led her away.

“When would you wish to depart?”

“As soon as possible.”

-

Unworthy. Simple. Mortal. Trollop.

These were things she was used to but not many people had an advance vocabulary like Thor did and not all of the time did they hurt. Frigga was busy with making a potion for her to go home. At first, she suggested the gatekeeper but decided against it since no one knew Charlotte was here.

Charlotte tried to explain her living situation without trying to receive any sympathy from the queen. She was enjoyed the being in company of the queen but when she got home, it wouldn’t matter.

“This should take you back to the last place you were when Loki pulled you to Asgard.”

“We were in my bedroom.”

It’s all she could say as she kept her eyes down. Frigga clapped her hands as a small stench came from his cauldron. There was a small knock at the door as someone stepped in from where she was sitting.

She rolled her eyes and got to her feet, recognizing the footsteps as she stood near Frigga.

“I wish to say goodbye.”

She nodded to the queen as she went back to her cauldron. Loki rushed in a graceful manner as he tries to embrace Charlotte.

“I am so sor…”

“Goodbye is all you get to say,” she stated coldly.

“I don’t even get a chance to explain myself?”

“I’m not going to pretend to listen to anything else.”

“I lov…”

“You fucking lied to my face, Loki! All you had to do was be honest with me. I would have at least considered. I’ve known you for two years and I trusted you. You of all people should know how hard that is for me. You didn’t tell me because you were scared? You are scared, I can’t deal with you anymore.”

“What does this mean?”

“It means if this was a real relationship, I would be breaking up with you.”

“Please don’t leave me, Charlotte.”

“Stop playing these games with me, Loki and tell me what you want!”

“I want you dammit! I…”

Loki felt his chest caving in on itself as Charlotte held back the most of her falling tears. She only shook her head.

“I’m done. I really am. I was serious when I said I wasn’t ashamed of what we were. You hid all of this from me, Loki. Just do me a favor and don’t come back for me because I promise you that I won’t be there.”

She stepped back from Loki as Frigga cleared her throat.

“It is ready when you are.”

“I-I just can’t be here anymore.”

Frigga dipped a small bowl into the pot and wiped the liquid from the side. She pushed back Loki to give Charlotte the room she needed. She accepted the bowl and looked down on her whole reflection. One sip and it would all be over.

“For what it is worth, I believe you would have made an exceptional queen, my dear.”

“Thank you for everything, your majesty. I’m sorry all of this happened.”

“If you weren’t here, a great amount of us would have perished at the hands of a maniac. We are indebted to you, Charlotte Manning. Drink the entire bowl and close your eyes. We won’t forget you.”

Frigga stepped to the side as Charlotte snapped her eyes shut. This would be the closest thing to death that she could describe. Walking or really falling into a blinding light, feeling weightless, at peace. She remembered closing her eyes so she wouldn’t be haunted by the image of him. It would have been too much. She could still hear his voice, begging her not to go.

_“Charlotte, please…”_


	9. It was only just a dream

That bastard didn’t know when to let go. He didn’t know how much him staying silent had hurt her. He had a little more than two days to tell her. Now she was so infuriated that she didn’t want to see him again. That would be his problem, not hers. She turned to her side, feeling her own stiff mattress underneath her. She started to gag at the stench of her life. The animal piss, the rotting insulation and the normalcy of life. She raced for the fresh trash bag hanging from the closet door knob and retched the sweet Asgardian wine that refused to stay down.

She closed her eyes and listened to the life around her. Charlotte wanted to cry, knowing she’d never see Loki again but she also cursed herself for coming back so soon. The cars and 18 wheelers drove by blaring their horns. The house was still as the old husky whined in silence. There were no tvs on and no heavy footsteps underneath her and she was thankful for that. An alarm set off behind her as she was blinded with sunrise.

One her bed was her phone. No messages, one voice mail confirming a dentist appointment for the next week. She wasn’t sure if Loki enchanted the phone in any way but she no longer cared. A faint sparkle caught her eye as she saw a small but full pouch on her mattress. She pulled it apart from the scroll that looked like one from Frigga’s table that sat next to the cauldron. The sack was heavy as she unrolled the scroll to the ink.

 

_Charlotte,_

_Please believe me when I say that I wanted to tell you about the events that were to unfold but it was not my place to tell. Loki tried and wanted badly to tell you of how he felt about you. It may not seem like it but he truly does care for you more than anyone he’s known. I understand your hurt and wish that you didn’t mean what you said about not seeing Loki again._

_I have seen firsthand how he makes himself better when you are around him. Just know that you are stronger than you seem and we are grateful for what you have done for us. In the sack is something to further yourself in life. You may keep them or you may sell them as a step towards you independence._

 

She placed the scroll down on the bed and opened the small pouch as several small gems poured out from the sides. She stepped back gasping at the gold and jewels that shimmered in the sunlight. They were hers, all hers. She quickly pushed them back into the pouch and tossed the sack into the back of her closet as she slammed the small wooden door.

Charlotte looked back to her room, seeing the mess that was hers. She looked to the bed and bent over it, smelling Loki in the sheets. It was going to be hard to let him go. She wasn’t ready for what he was ready to offer her. He was going to marry her, make her queen, give her the world but in her mind she was seven years old and stuck on the bench. She sank to her knees, feeling the dress constrict her as the cloak covered her completely. She sobbed into the sheets as she stripped the bed.

Her first instinct was to wash them but she wasn’t ready to go downstairs yet. She folded them gently and placed them in one of the empty cardboard boxes sitting near the insulation. She dragged the box into her room as she untied the cloak. The fabric was strong under her fingers as she stuffed it in the box as and let her hands wander the dress. Charlotte slowly untied the dress at the neck and let the soft, slim fabric fall to the floor as it caressed every part of her body. She did her best not to think of him but it was no use.

Charlotte pulled on a pair of jeans and a tank. She gathered what clothes she could, ready for a day without anything to distract her. It was very well past 10 in the morning as she began her earth life again as she shuffled into her kitchen to the washer. For once it was empty as she set out to use her last day to herself. She only started with the laundry, that’s when she saw the dog pee on the pantry door. She cleaned the floors, using whatever enhanced strength she had left to scrub the floors clean. The bleached the kitchen, putting dishes where they should, vacuuming, walking the dog, and two loads of laundry.

She let her tears fall as she bleached the small bathroom and placed all of her folded clothes in her room. Charlotte found her reflection in the mirror as she looked at herself. Her face and hair were still made up from the banquet on Asgard but her sluggish, tight clothing made her feel so human that it hurt. If Kylies were still alive, she would have had a great laugh at her expense. She wiped the makeup away and tied her hair back in a bun. She remembered growing it for two years because Loki said he liked it.

The weekend. She had some money before she got paid again and would cut it all off. She needed the change and she needed it for herself. Charlotte placed the books one by one at first on their respective shelves but ended up shoving everything in so it wouldn’t be on the floor. She sighed at the eerie cleanliness of the room as she rested on her bed. She opened the window to make her room smell less putrid as she closed the curtains. The dark was enough for her to lay on the bed and drown herself in exhausted sleep.

Charlotte accepted the fact that she had fallen in love with Loki and had made it final that he was never coming back for her.

-

He refused to believe that she was gone. He didn’t want to speak to his mother or father. Instead, he sat next to Thor’s side as he slowly worked the potion from his brother’s system. The Healers had left the room for a second and Loki was using the time to his advantage. He mixed his herbs and urged Thor to swallow as his rage slowly start to disperse. The fury in Thor’s eyes were nothing compared to Charlotte’s. He would wanted to go against her wishes, to find her and do whatever was possible to find her and beg her to stay with him, even if it meant that he could look into her eyes again.

Thor was thrown into a coughing fit as he groaned. Loki could sense the weaker magic leaving Thor’s body as he slowly started to calm. He looked around the room until his eyes found Loki.

“Brother? Wh-What happened? Where…”

“What do you remember?”

“Kyl… ugh! I should have known! I didn’t think she was so naïve to pull a stunt like this. Was Lorelei punished as well? I know she was involved somehow.”

“Lorelei had no part. I heard she disowned her sister with a single look.”

“Forgive me, brother. I did not know…”

“None of us did, except for Charlotte.”

“May I apologize to her? I fear I was too forward.”

“She’s already gone. She’s made it abundantly clear that she had no wish to see me ever again.”

“Did you not propose to her? She was an remarkable choice.”

“I couldn’t. I was… I don’t know.”

“You were scared, brother. That’s why I couldn’t ask Jane. I hadn’t seen her in weeks. That’s how Kylies was able to get her talons into me. She tried to kill father.”

“I didn’t see the axe but one of the guards said it was a clean cut.”

“It always is.”

“I didn’t see it either, my son.”

The princes looked over their shoulders to Odin as he entered the healing room with Frigga at his back. Loki reclined back in the chair wondering what the All-father would say. Charlotte had slipped from his grip and now he would never hear the end of it.

“So she is gone?”

Loki stayed silent as he kept his eyes to the floor. Frigga stepped in to Thor’s side as she looked to her husband.

“Yes, she chose to go home. I believe her stay may have gotten the best of her.”

“Indeed,” chimed the King as he met Loki’s glare, “A fine woman like that left because she found not a reason to stay.”

“She’s gone and that’s it,” hissed Loki.

“Is it? Did you even ask her to marry you?”

“She wouldn’t have said yes, so just say it?”

“If I have to then you should not get the throne.”

“I can take the throne without a wife!”

“Brother, we are in no shape for this yet and you know it. We can grow more without this for a few more years.”

“Please, Kylies had you wrapped under her skin and you were too stupid to see that she was slipping a love potion into your ales.”

“You want me to say it Loki?! She is gone and she is not coming back! She loved you and you could not step up and be a man!”

“Please, father. There must be more on the tip of your tongue.”

“Was Kylies not courting with you? Your actions may have well caused her behavior in the past evening.”

“Are you saying her assassination was my doing?”

“You are growing reckless and in my opinion, you are a stubborn fool for letting her go! If you really wanted her, you would have gone against her word and had her back here by now but now you seem to not care if she carries on with her life without you. What is going to happen when you finally come to your senses and she is married off to someone else.”

“Stop it!”

Loki didn’t realize he had gotten to his feet and struck the All-father across his face hard enough to send him to the floor in plain sight of the guards. He blinked and found himself being hauled by the guards towards the dungeon. He didn’t resist or look into his mother’s eyes as she stood in front of his cell. A guard tried to talk to her but she dismissed him with displeasure in her voice. Loki reclined against the wall without a word.

“What has gotten into you Loki? Since when have you struck someone that wasn’t your enemy and the All-father no less? He had Thor banished for a few simple words but he wants to let you go. He’s angered by you but wants to let you out.”

“And what is your decree, mother?”

Frigga waved her hand to the mirror and stepped forward to the barrier as Loki stood up in alarm. She pushed her hand through the barrier, turning the gold to a tainted brown the same shade as Charlotte’s hair and eyes.

“You know you had planned all of those things for her, investing your future together with her and you still won’t admit that you were wrong?”

“Just stop it.”

“I’ve lifted the barrier, Loki. You can leave when you stop lying to yourself and apologize.”

“I am not apologizing.”

“Then I wish Charlotte a happy life without you.”

Frigga turned on her heel and headed for the prison doors. She didn’t look at the books and little things being brought to Loki cell to ease his stay. Perhaps a few days would make him come to his senses. He and Charlotte belonged together and Loki was blind to that.

-

_Three months later…_

Charlotte wiped the sweat from her head as she sat with her water bottle. Two more days until Christmas and so many packages still needed to be loaded and shipped. She and the other workers were glad that not-Christmas music was blurring from the speakers. She used each and every day to her advantage, personal rage wasn’t her thing but it made work quicker and more efficient.

This led to her supervisors noticing and offering her a better position. Better shorter hours and a higher pay. She knew she had to sit on it and as she sat on her stable, plastic tub, she smiled at the fortune that was coming her way but what made it sour was the distance. The hours would be early to her liking but the long commute would kill her.

If only she could… her mind went to the jewels Frigga had left her. If she went into the city, she could pawn some of the gems. She had already a small golden necklace, fetching herself a few hundred dollars in her savings account. Charlotte was more careful with herself now, not telling Julie of her sudden wealth.

Things were already getting sketchy in the _family_. No one was taking to each other with each passing day and when they did, many things were found out about each other. Charlotte’s sibling were really her cousins. She found some relief in that. Julie had lost her job and lunged the house with her boyfriend when he was there. Charlotte moved her jewels hiding places just for safe measure.

The horn above her head chimed as Charlotte got to her feet and raced for the exit as she ran with her coat to catch her bus.

“Oi, Lottie! There’s ice!”

“I’m gonna miss my bus! I can’t wait another five hours to go home!”

The small Mercedes pulled up next to her as Charlotte looked to the Welsh guy in the driver’s seat. She had seen him many times eyeing her bottom as she’d bent to pack up her packages and she wasn’t ashamed to admit that she would eye him a few times as he handled his own.

“I can take you. I don’t mind one bit.”

“You do realize I live half an hour in the opposite direction you’re going, right?”

“Not a problem, little Lottie. I need to explore the land and you need to eat.”

“I have plans, man.”

“I won’t keep you long. I promise.”

Charlotte sighed as she slid into the passenger’s seat. Her stomach tied in knots as the wheels slowly turned into the freeway as snow began to fall. She buckled herself in and looked out the window.

“How does Chinese sound, I’ve never had Chinese before.”

“How long have you been in this country?”

“Three months.”

“I know this place near where I live, you’ll like it.”

She felt a twinge at the pit of her stomach as he smiled to her. Charlotte had done her best to move on but it was hard when all she thought about was Loki.

“Are you alright? I don’t want to force you into a dinner if you don’t want to.”

“No, its not that. It’s hard to expl…”

She was cut off as a truck skid on the freeway, hitting their car as they bounced off the metal railing and spun. They stopped and flipped as another car hit the back side, sending them into a nearby field. They both screamed as the car tumbled. The driver only shouted as he covered his face with both arms. Charlotte screamed one thing but was silenced as she hit her head hard on the side of the car.

The vehicle came to a stop as she lost consciousness. She only thought of one thing as she repeated herself.

“Loki…”

-

Loki reclined in his sheets as he stared at the ceiling. He had summoned curtains to keep the other prisoners out of his business as he touched himself. Most nights, he only went to sleep and shrugged off his morning erection with exercise. He stopped with his cock and looked to his hand as its fake form laughed at him, gawking at the lie right under his nose.

_“Are the books I sent enough for you?”_

_“Is this how I am to spend my time? Reading as I toll away in my gilded cage?”_

_“You know very well that it’s you actions that put you here. Still so stubborn after all this time. It’s been months now and you still think this all a game.”_

_“I’m only living up to the lie that I was fed. That I was to be a King.”_

_“You know the rules of ascending to the throne! Your father…”_

_“He is not my father!”_

_Frigga’s mouth had dropped as Loki turned to the nearest wall. Before she could say anything, Loki had pressed his hand up to the glass, electrocuting himself as his arm turned blue under his tunic. He pulled back the sleeve and looked to Frigga for a response. She only looked up with no shame._

_“This changes nothing, you are my son.”_

_“You knew the whole time.”_

_“We did this because we love you. Your father loves you.”_

_“He is not my father.”_

_“Then am I not your mother.”_

_Frigga prayed to the Gods that Loki would just turn and ignore her. Loki matched her posture as he opened his mouth with tears in his eyes._

_“No.”_

_“Well, always so perceptive of everyone but yourself. Perhaps she made the right choice.”_

_A tear fell from Frigga as Loki dismissed her illusion._

He had looked to the books and pieced it all together. He words and pictures explained it all. He had been taken in the battle of Jotunnhiem from King Laufey as evidence of the royal seal on his wrist in his truer form. He found out his changes the night he was imprisoned as he tried to walk through the barrier set by his mother.

The pain was so unbearable but all he thought about was his bed and maybe Charlotte. He had stepped back to inspect the wounds as they turned to ice and disappeared. Loki looked to his books for answers, wallowing in self-pity he sat day by day and thought of nothing.

Now he looked at the mattress and thought of Charlotte deeply. He wanted to say he was wrong for letting her go but it was too much for him to bear. Had he been honest, she could have been in his arms now after hours of begging and complete bliss, even if she had said no. The thought of her sent blood rushing to his cock as he closed his eyes.

“Loki,” she would have moaned.

“Gods, yes.”

Loki gave in to his fantasy that she was there straddling his lap. His curled his fingers tightly around his cock, rapidly reaching his peak with each jerk.

“Loki.”

He pushed his hips into his hand and clutched the sheets as he came into his hand, finally releasing as his eyes filled with colors, her colors. He knew he was the fool as his heart sank deep in his chest. He closed his eyes, swallowing what pride he could, waiting until tomorrow to tell Frigga.

“Loki!”

A terrible noise filled his ears as the prisons shook. Loki flung the sheets from himself as he willed the lights on. Horror filled his vision as he saw Charlotte wrapped in her Midgardian clothes and parts of her covered in small amounts of blood. He leapt from the bed to get to her as she laid still on the floor.

“Loki…”

His hand passed through her as Loki tried to make sense of the situation. Charlotte laid on her side with one arm dangling above her head as the other wrapped at her waist, pinned to her by her weight. She tried to turn her head but was still from her arms.

“Charlotte!”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

The horns blared in the prisons as the walls shook again. Guards moved quickly to the doors to await further instructions. He willed a great amount of his powers to focus on her.

“Charlotte? Look at me.”

Charlotte turned her eyes up, tearing as she saw him smiling to her.

“Loki. Oh God, I’m dead!”

“Stop. Just breathe and tell me what happened.”

“We got hit on the side of the road. The truck must have slid in the snow. We lost control of the car and we ended up in the field. There’s so much ringing, Loki. I can’t move my legs.”

She looked up past his head to the ceiling back to Earth as the car slowly started to turn upright in the drifting snow. Loki looked on as Charlotte’s body slowly started to turn on its own.

“The car’s moving on the edge of the field! Ahh!”

More blood appeared on Charlotte’s leg as she screamed. Loki took in one last image of her as she vanished.

“No! Charlotte!”

She had disappeared completely as Loki pounded at the floor to his cell. He snarled, setting his teeth as he pulled the curtains the rest of the way as a sharp red blast of energy missed his head barely, hitting the wall behind him. Lok met the blank, soulless eyes of a dark elf as it took aim again. A slew of guards disarmed the dark elf, killing it before it could turn around. Loki stepped up to the glass as the guards carried on.

“Let me out! I can fight!”

He was ignored as the guards shouted to defend the weapons vault. Loki stopped shouting as he braced himself and pressed up against his mother’s glass enchantment. The pain coursed through him. He didn’t focus on anything but to get out and prove himself. The more he pushed, the more he felt himself turn. He screamed and turned his back to the wall as severe pain filled his chilling veins.

The shimmer broke as Loki tumbled to the stone floor. He wasted no time as he grabbed the nearest weapon and went running for the nearest staircase. He slayed a great amount of dark elves until the warriors three took over. He ran for the throne room, seeing it bare as he set out to find his mother. His skin had changed back to its original form as he stopped in the doorway of his mother’s chambers. She was lifeless on the floor as Odin had taken her into his arms. Thor retrieved Mjolnir from the nearest, lifeless dark elf, sighing in defeat as he looked to Loki.

Loki dropped to his knees unable to hold himself up. Frigga was lifted from the ground as the guards finished off the last of the dark elves. A tear fell from his green eyes as he looked to his mother, _his_ mother, dead in all her majestic glory.


	10. For you, I will

Charlotte was lost in the cold winter snow as she heard Loki’s voice. She knew she was to be dead. There would be no other way. Pain coursed through her whole body as the car turned back on its wheels. She hit her head harder as she thought of Loki.

“No. I don’t want to go…”

She gasped as she woke in her hospital bed. She looked to the tubes in her arms as tears filled her eyes. A nurse was already by her bedside to ease her breathing as she looked down to her.

“Ma’am, I need you to stay calm.”

“There was another guy with me…”

“He’s fine. You both had a few bumps and cuts but he’ll have to stay overnight for observation.”

“And the only reason you aren’t staying is because you don’t have the insurance.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes as Julie yanked back the curtains to show off the other parts of the ER.

“What are you doing here?”

“Don’t you sass me! Do you even know that boy?!”

“He was nice enough to try and give me a ride home, Julie.”

“You almost died.”

“Yeah, I heard two people died on the bus. So thank you, Julie.”

“You are such an ungrateful little shit!”

“Ma’am,” butted in the nurse, “I’m gonna need you to calm down.”

“I’m not gonna do a damn thing!”

Charlotte watched as she gave the nurse a shove into a State Trooper that had rounded the corner to investigate the yelling. The trooper failed to calm her aunt as her anger rose quickly and she took a sudden swing at the trooper. In the time it took for Charlotte to kick her feet over the side of the bed, Julie had been hauled away in cuffs, reminding Charlotte of how Kylies fought the guards before she was carried away to her death. Another snap of the curtains and Charlotte was brought back to her hospital bed.

“Beck? What are you doing here?”

“Julie was your next of kin as a contact and I was her ride. Today hasn’t been the best day for her, we’ve been packing most of the day. She only helped by cleaning out the liquor bottles.”

“I thought you guys weren’t going anywhere for Christmas.”

“We’re getting evicted, Charlotte. We have a week to move out.”

“She’s been hiding this from us?”

“We only just found out. She went upstairs for boxes so I don’t know what she did up there.”

“Where are the twins?”

“Packing. We’re going to my sister’s until they graduate in the summer. They chose to come with me but she has enough room for them.”

“You may want to think about storage, Julie has a lot of crap.”

“She’s not coming with us.”

Charlotte was stunned at the words that had fallen from his mouth.

“Wh-what does this mean?”

“It means I won’t be answering Julie’s one phone call so she’ll be in jail until the 26th. We won’t be there,” he said with a smile.

The cogs sped up as Charlotte smiled. It may have a wicked thing to smile at but it was her chance. Three days and everything would be alright. Beck had her discharged and lifted her home. She didn’t make eye contact with the twins as she raced to her steps. She took a breath and wondered upstairs seeing nothing out of place. She opened her small white door to the unbelievable sight of her room.

Things had been thrown from the shelves and most of her clean clothes was on the floor. She reached behind her bookcase as her hand found the small sack of undisturbed jewels. She quickly sorted through her things and raced for whatever trashbags she could find. Most of her things were trivial and useless while other stuff she quickly but carefully arranged in the few bags she did have.

She stayed to herself, smiling at the chance provided to her. Charlotte looked out her window to the twin loading their school car with their possessions, hiding away as much stuff into their little car as they could. They were both 18 and Beck’s legal children. She was 27. They had a week to leave. They had a whole three days to flee before Julie showed her face again.

Charlotte grabbed the hidden box from the back of her attic and smiled as she pulled her Asgardian clothes away. They still smelled fresh, filling her memories with him. She was so sure that she was going to die but it couldn’t have been him. She was thankful to being off until the New Year, that way she could from a motel near her work. Things would be tight despite her small fortune. She piled what was left of her life outside her door, planning her next moves but giving in to her painkillers as she stripped off her winter clothes and looked to the small cuts on her body.

The nurses had used liquid stitches on about 20 of her cuts, nothing too bad but her whole body was sore form the impact. She hoped that her friend was going to be okay. She rolled her eyes to herself, knowing that he was probably a great catch but he wasn’t the one she wanted. Still, she would figure that part later on when she settled with herself.

She turned off her light and listened to the heavy, well-paced footsteps of the three people below her. Three days. She remembered that a great amount of things had happened in three days.

_Charlotte could smell the park in her dreams. The dream had played in his mind so much that it began to give off a normal smell, something hauntingly familiar. She looked into the street but she didn’t see her mother or the truck. There was no blood or children her age. Then again, she wasn’t a child at all this time. She looked down to the wet green dress she wore during the Asgardian rains. Something was different. Not wrong but different._

_“What…”_

_Her head turned up to a cry from the street bench behind her. In her normal place was a small child about five years old as he sobbed into his hands. He had wrapped himself in a thick blanket, crying in plain sight. Charlotte looked around for a parent to be calling out for their child but she knew it was only a dream, that no one would claim him. She stepped forward, seeing the child more clearly. He was wrapped in a green blanket as his raven black hair showed through the top._

_“Loki?”_

_The child looked up with his tear stained eyes as he wiped his nose with his sleeve. Charlotte knelt down and swooped him up out of instinct. He wrapped his arms around her neck as he sobbed. Charlotte sat on the bench, doing her best to calm Loki. She wrapped the blanket around him as a stray tear fell down her cheek._

_“What wrong, Loki?”_

_“She’s gone.”_

_“Who is?”_

_“Mother.”_

_“We can find her. Don’t worry.”_

_“No, she’s gone. The dark elves got her and I wasn’t there to protect her.”_

_“What happened, where is Thor?”_

_The sky above her turned to red as large metallic ships raced across the sky. Loki screamed out in fear as Charlotte ran from the white glowing bullets that sprayed towards her. Things were happening so fast as she ran from the bench that was shot to pieces and hid in the brushes as pods shot to the ground. The pods crashed into the dirt and split open as white and silver armored elves emerged. She held Loki close and urged him to keep quiet._

_Loki nodded and closed his eyes as he held on tightly to Charlotte. She crept away the best she could as an elf took her by surprise as it almost crushed her wrist. She drove her knee into the elf’s side as it fell to the ground in pain. She shot out from the bushes and ran towards the nearby tunnel, shining boldly for safety._

_She ran across the open grass with a clinging Loki in her arms as few of the elves shot at her, hitting her in the arm. She cried out in pain as she carried on. Her eyes grew in horror as other elves turned into larger golden glowing monsters. They snared and snapped their jaws as they set off in a gallop towards her. Loki screamed as they got closer._

_“I don’t fucking think so! I won’t let them get you…”_

_Charlotte could feel everything. Blood was slowly dripping down her arm. The hounds were so close to her feet. Loki held onto her as tightly as his strength could without hurting her. A painful twinge coursed her leg as a bullet pierced through her shin. Charlotte dove into the tunnel at the last minute as she shielded Loki’s head from the impact of hard concrete that never came._

 

-still here/death of the queen/a time to grieve

 

Charlotte’s foot jumped to touch any pavement but hit the wooden headboard as she woke. She cursed at the slight pain of her foot.

“The hell was that?”

She already knew her skin was covered in sweat as she grabbed her water from the bookcase to ease her dry throat. She sighed weakly as she could hear someone sob behind her. She turned seeing the streetlight shine dimly into her room as the light showed off the raven hair showered over her lumpy pillow.

“Loki? ”

He lifted his head only a bit as he drew in breath. Charlotte grabbed a shirt from the floor and covered herself as she returned to the bed.

“Loki, what’s wrong?”

“She’s gone.”

“Frigga?”

“The Dark Elves tried to invade Asgard. I told them to let me out of the cell but no one would listen.”

“Cell? They put you in prison?”

“Odin called me a fool letting you go and blamed Kylies’ behavior on me. I struck him across the face and was thrown in the prisons. Mother begged me to apologize to him but I refused so she enchanted the cell only to release me until I was truly sorry.”

“So what happened?”

“The magic disappeared when she was slain in battle. I should have been there. I should have protected her.”

Loki broke down into tears as Charlotte wrapped her arms around him, rocking him back and forth like a child as she ran her fingers through his hair. She didn’t want to say anything for fear that it wasn’t the time for anything to be said. She hadn’t forgotten how she felt when her mother had died and only knew the fear of reliving the same nightmare almost night after night. The only good thing about it was that Loki would imagine his mother dying heroically instead of a plain accident.

Loki held on tightly to Charlotte. The whole world crashed down on him. He had only expected to be in the cell for a few months, possibly a year. He had refused to listen to the words of his mother as day after day she stood on the outside of his cell, waiting for her son to rid himself of his pride.

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed, “I should have told you. I was so scared. I wasn’t…”

“Stop it! Just… just brea…”

Loki had taken her face into his hands and kissed her. Charlotte felt her heart beat from her chest, not resisting him as he pulled her closer.

“You don’t have to say yes but I can’t lose you. I have no one else.”

“Where is Thor now?”

“Grieving with Jane, he begging her forgiveness for leaving her. Please forgive me for hurting you. It’s the last thing in the universe that I would do to you.”

“It’s okay. Just don’t keep it in.”

They both stayed silent as Charlotte pulled the blind to her window. She had so much to say but couldn’t find the words.

“Why is your room bare?”

“I’m leaving. Starting over by myself.”

“Your family?”

“They aren’t my family but they will be fine without me.”

“Are you hurt?”

“The cuts will heal but my body is still a little stiff. Did I really see you?”

“I had thought I was dreaming but…”

He sighed, tracing the side of her face with his fingers. She took in the contact of his fingertips to her cheek.

“I missed you.”

“As did I.”

Charlotte was hestitant as she moved closer to Loki. He braced his hand at the side of her neck, waiting for her words.

“Ask me again, Loki. I don’t care if you’re scared.”

“I don’t understand.”

She kissed him on the lips.

“Ask me again,” she whispered as she looked into his eyes.

Loki reached down, pulling out Frigga’s ring from his trousers as she tried to fight back her tears. His hand shook as his chest slowly began to heave. She calmed his whole arm with both hands as he inhaled.

“That night I wasn’t sure of what to say. It was to be a special moment, so many things were running through my mind but not one of them excluded you, Charlotte. You are burned into my mind like fire and I am glad that it may never go away. Charlotte Manning, will you be my bride?”

Charlotte let her tears fall as she took in the sight of Loki. All of his magic and tricks were vacant and all that stood in front of her was a man, vulnerable and in love.

“Yes.”

Loki sadness disappeared as he slid the silver ring onto Charlotte’s finger. She hid her laughter and joy as Loki pulled her in for a kiss. She closed her eyes, praying that she wouldn’t fall asleep. Funny things like this happened all the time and it could have gone either way to a dream or reality.

“My Charlotte, mine.”

Loki pressed his lips to her as she slowly rolled him to his back as she slowly reached for the hem of her shirt.

“Wait.”

“What’s wrong?”

“We can’t. There are things that need to be done.”

“Are you kidding me? Like what?”

Loki waved his hand, surround them in an illusion so Heimdall wouldn’t see them. Charlotte looked to the small barrier as Loki turned her chin to him.

“Charlotte, I want to you to come to Asgard with me. I want you to be my Princess. Do you understand? When we marry, you won’t have to worry about aging. You will grow old with me over the centuries. If I return with you, my father is going to make me king and it can only happen if you are _untouched_.”

“What are you telling me?”

“Frigga found a way to make you pure again so we can be together.”

“But I didn’t have one. Some females here just don’t have one. What happens?”

“I have never doubted my mother’s magic and am certain that everything will be alright. If it doesn’t work then we will both be thrown in the prisons for treason.”

Loki waited for a reaction from Charlotte as she was lost in her thoughts. This was so much to be putting on her. Not only was he asking her to leave whatever remaining life she held on Midgard but also make her choice something that could have them imprisoned. Loki was scared at the thought of spending another night in the dungeons without the touch of her.

“Don’t take me being silent as saying no, Loki. I… just never had anyone promise me something that they could actually give me.”

Her voice began to shake as she held herself together.

“I will not rush you for a proper answer.”

“That’s just a shame. I’ll do it.”

“I want you to be sure, Charlotte. I have no intention of putting you into harm’s way.”

“I already told you yes, Loki. I’ll do it all. For you, I will.”

Loki’s heart leapt with joy as he pulled Charlotte to his chest for a kiss. He held her as tightly as he could, knowing Frigga was smiling down on him from Valhalla. Charlotte felt the ring tighten to her finger as she smiled.

“So what happens now?”

“I return home and talk with my father. Before that, I must find the vial of potion my mother left behind for me. She always keeps a spare of her potions. I’ll only be a day at most. I give you my word.”

This had to be a dream. Charlotte brushed the long raven hair from his eyes as she turned her head to listen to his heartbeat.

“I love you, Loki. I thought I didn’t care but the moment that car flipped, all I could think about was you. I was terrified that I would never see you again.”

“I did as well,” he said stoking her hair. “I love you, my Charlotte and I always will…”


	11. I miss you so much

 

Charlotte felt the room grow cold as he phone rang on her headboard. She looked around to the bed, seeing it was empty behind her.

“Fuck, I knew it.”

She felt her hand was stiff as she held it out, seeing the sliver ring on her finger. Her mouth dropped as the ran to her door, fling it back to see most of her possessions gone with the dark jeweled choker taking their place with the exception of her back pack filled with clothes. She redressed, clenching the jewels as she dialed for a cab.

Charlotte pulled her focus in ignoring her bare room and the bare house as she pushed herself into the taxi. She closed her eyes and sat the half hour cab ride to a hotel that was near her work.

It was a bit pricy but all that didn’t matter. The cheapest room was to her liking as she stuffed her backpack under her bed and set out for her work. She dry swallowed her pain medication as she started her way around the icy parking lot, sure not to take any chances at hurting herself.

Her supervisor found her at the door surprised to see her out of the hospital as she was led to the back offices.

“Are you okay? Theo was let out of the hospital this morning. You should be home in bed.”

“That why I’m here. I know I’m supposed to go at this differently but I’m putting in a two week notice.”

“Why?”

“I have a chance to move on from recent and not so recent events. There are over people that want what you gave me and I want you to give it to them.”

“Honey, are you high? We can have this conversation when you get back.”

“Even if I do come back, you’ll just send me back for a week until you think I’m better. I am high a little bit but I’m being honest.”

Her thumb felt the ring as she smiled.

“I have a chance have what I finally want and not have someone tell me no.”

“I understand, Manning and we won’t keep you here if you feel that way. You were a wonderful worker and we will miss you.”

Charlotte spent the next hour trying to focus as she signed her resignation papers and hobbled to the bus stop. She took in the air of Christmas Eve, smiling to the sky as she hold her breath.

“You would have loved him, Momma.”

-

Loki waited in the Throne Room patiently as he felt the metal vial grow heavy in his pocket. He had spent many sleepless hours searching his mother’s chambers for the potion, finding it tucked away in one of his mother’s scrolls. He poured the potion into another stronger vial to be sure it would be safe. Now he stood in front of the throne, thinking of the cost of the throne.

The doors had closed with Odin holding his head up as he approached his son. He stopped, placing his hand at his shoulder, then embracing him as they both held each other.

“I am sorry, father.”

“We will give her and the other fallen a proper burial tonight. I had expected you to be in a worse state of grieving.”

“I was.”

“With Charlotte?”

“Yes.”

“She is well?”

“She is independent as she wished. You were right, father. I was scare to ask her but she said yes.”

“I knew she would,” he smiled as he stepped back.

“I also know of my true parentage. I was harsh to mother when I showed her but I accept that I am of Asgard and that nothing will change that.”

“You will always be my son, Loki. Always.”

“Thank you, father.”

“You may fetch her after tonight, if you wish. There is much to be done, my son. I will have Heimdall find Thor and Jane to bring them home for the wedding. You should prepare as well.”

“Yes, father.”

“Frigga wanted so badly to teach her if you had asked. She was going to show her the stars of Yggdrasil.”

“There will be you.”

“I do not have her insights.”

“But you have her compassion and was it you that helped mother when she ascended with you?”

“You are not going to let me off that easy, are you?”

“You have more purpose than you realize.”

“And for that I will have Fandral take my place in the chambers.”

“Thank you father.”

Loki turned for his room, needing to prepare not only for the fallen warriors but for Charlotte’s arrival. All was going according to plan as the vial grew heavier.

-

Charlotte fought her meds as she tried to stay awake. Her knees were killing her and her coat was doing very little to keep her warm. She could barely keep her hand steady as she pushed the key into her room door. She slammed it behind her and jammed a chair under the knob as she turned on her heater and turned on the hot shower water for the steam. Charlotte waited a few minutes, giving up on the water as she pulled the bedsheet from her mattress and bundled herself up. She shook and curled up as she gave in to her low pain.

 _Charlotte_ …

“Mom?”

She was glad that there was no park but terrified as she was stuck in the turned car as the snow started to shift. She tried to turn her head to see her friend was stuck as she tried to move. She panicked feeling pain in her legs as the blood reappeared on her clothes. She feared the worst thinking she was still in the car and that Loki hadn’t come back for her.

_“Charlotte. Take my hand. This isn’t real.”_

She was able to turn her head to Loki as he reached his hand out to her. At once, she felt her legs free and the seat belt was gone. She couldn’t see them but she just knew. She could feel warmth surround her as she reached forward for Loki. She jumped from the car and into Loki’s arms as she was pulled into the night. Not her night but a beautiful lit night as she was joined by others dressed in battle armor and dark clothing.

Charlotte looked around as the people held low glowing orbs, walking towards the stars in front of them. She kept her mouth shut as she looked to Loki at her side, holding her hand. She looked down to her body, covered in a black gown as she walked with the assembly around her.

“This is real, Charlotte.”

“Where are we,” she whispered.

“You’ll see soon. Try not to get lost.”

“Can they see me?”

“I’ve put an illusion over you and am using a great amount of energy for you to be here. It’s what she would have wanted.”

Charlotte looked down to the engagement ring as it softly glowed in a green hue. She moved closer to Loki as he let her hand go and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to keep her near. Charlotte took in the view of the city around her and the palace over her shoulder. She looked to the faces of the morning Asgardians as she remembered Loki’s words.

Someone had tried to invade his world, their world and they fought back, winning as they lost people, warriors of their own. Their world had lost a great amount of people, warriors and Frigga. Charlotte looked to her right seeing the edge of Thor’s armor. Her heart broke as she saw tears fall from his eyes. There was a young woman to his right that placed her small hand at his shoulder. They shared a tender moment as they stopped and turned away.

The cluster of people stopped at a river leading away from the city as a boat sailed by. Charlotte didn’t remember her mother’s funeral but she knew how much it hurt knowing she was dead. She could feel Loki tensing as Frigga sailed by in the carefully decorated boat. The queen was dressed in a lovely gown and covered in polished but worn battle armor. Her beautiful face was made up and covered with a clear veil and her dead hands were folded neatly over a majestic sword.

Charlotte lifted her hand to cover Loki’s as she wrapped her arm around his waist. She could feel his tears fall into her hair as the boat began to sail off to what she saw was the edge of the planet. More boats appeared in the river, more than she could count as they all drifted behind Frigga’s. Charlotte looked up to the stars as a flaming arrow passed over her head. It sailed at an impossibly long distance as it landed in the queen’s boat, setting it on fire. She held Loki tighter as more arrows were shot, each landing on their targets beautifully. Thor stood tall as Jane took his arm. The people around them lifted their orbs to the sky and released them as they gently floated up to the heavens above.

Loki was trembling, barely holding himself together as Frigga’s boat reached the edge. She looked on in wonder as the boat flooded in midair. A single steady thud was heard throughout the crowd as a wave of light rose from the boat and drifted up as the boat dropped to the abyss below. The other boats reached the edge as their lights followed hers.

“They are on their way to Valhalla, the warriors Heaven.”

The orbs disappeared amongst the stars as the people turned back to the city. Charlotte watched Odin as he stood proud but with some sorrow as he turned to his guards. She looked back to Loki as he tried not to sway on his feet.

“Loki?”

He looked into her eyes as he wiped away his tears. Charlotte grabbed him by the hand and pulled them into the shadows as she held him close.

“I not really sure of what to say, Loki.”

“Say that you are still waiting for me.”

“I am. I fell asleep because of my pain medication.”

“I will come to you and bring you home.”

“I’m not home anymore, Loki. I’m somewhere else. I don’t know how you’re going to find me.”

“That won’t be too hard,” he smirked as he kissed the glowing ring on her finger.

“I put a chair under the doorknob.”

“You still think that will keep me away? Close your eyes and rest, my Charlotte. I will come for you in the morning.”

He had taken her face into his hands and passionately kissed Charlotte on her lips. He pulled her closer, holding her close as she started to fade away. She vanished completely as his body started to weaken. He focused the last bit of his energy on teleporting himself back to the palace as he fell to the edge of his bed. Loki pulled off as much of his armor as she could, keeping Charlotte fresh in his mind as he kicked off his pants.

He pushed the covers down as they pooled at his feet. Loki could feel the pits of hell in his cock as he grasped himself, hissing through his teeth as he pumped his cock. He worked his hand up and down as she was so close to him, she was nearly home. He clutched at the sheets underneath him as he came into his hand. His lips snarled and he cursed his name until his vision was almost taken from him.

Loki pulled up the covers at the last second to make sure that in the morning, whatever servant that would come in would be greeted with a surprise. His exhausted eyes sank shut as he smiled, seeing nothing but Charlotte in the bed next to him.

-

She remembered it was the afternoon when she had fallen asleep. Now it was well past midnight as she shuffled to the vending machine and pulled out a few small things for herself to fill her stomach. She locked the door behind her as she scarfed down her snack cakes and bags of mini chips as she turned on the water for a shower.

She stood under the water, clearing her head as she thought of a new life in Asgard. Things would be different. She would be married to Loki. He would be king and she would be his queen. Never in a million years did she think she would be queen or married or happy.

Happy was a hard thing for her to find and he was ready, she was ready.

Charlotte shuffled to her stiff bed naked as she wrapped herself in her blanket as she quickly fell asleep. In the past years when Loki would come, she could always tell from her lack of sleep. Now she slept like a baby as her meds knocked her out again. The one thing she couldn’t wait for was going back to the Healing room so she could be rid of her stiffness. Throughout the night, Charlotte felt her legs tensing up as she slept, kicking her limbs lose as she rolled from side to side.

“You move way too much.”

“It’s a cheap hotel mattress. What do you except?”

She felt the mattress creak as he moved under the covers and pulled her close to his chest, his freezing chest covered in his battle armor. Charlotte woke and slithered to the other side of the bed as Loki looked at her with a smile.

“I miss seeing you naked.”

“What the fuck, man? You’re freezing!”

Loki smiled as he arched his neck down to kiss the side of her neck.

“Whenever you are ready, my love,” he whispered into her ear.

Charlotte smile as she moved from the bed and gathered her things. She dressed in something simple as she put of her winter coat. Loki slung the bag over his shoulder and waited for her by the door. Charlotte tucked the choker away into one of the bag pouches and took Loki’s hand as he led her from the motel.

Charlotte left her card on the desk as Loki led her towards the woods. She didn’t ask him where they were headed but she was sure there was another way to get to Asgard that wasn’t human.

“Don’t worry,” he smiled as they entered an open field, “We’re almost there.”

Charlotte tried her best to understand as they stopped at a distinguishing pattern in the snow. It had been melted and a black ashy design was burned into the ground. Loki smiled to Charlotte as he put his arm around her and held her close.

“Try not to let me go.”

“What if I slip?”

“You won’t. You have my word.”

Loki looked up to the sky as it opened up and filled with light. The day was able to hide it as Charlotte buried her head in Loki’s chest. Her ears filled with roaring as she opened her eyes to the recesses of space that was rushing by her. She laughed as she held Loki tighter so she wouldn’t fall. A moment later and she stumbled with Loki onto a golden platform.

Loki caught her a few time as Charlotte was filled with adrenaline. She turned seeing the domed room around her filled with golden designs. Her eyes shifted to the middle of the room to a man dressed in shining golden armor. He smiled, nodding his head to Charlotte as Loki pushed her forward.

“Welcome to Asgard, Lady Charlotte.”

“H-Hi.”

“Charlotte, this is Heimdall. He is the gatekeeper for our realm. He sees everything.”

Charlotte waved over her shoulder as the Gatekeeper nodded his head and turned back to the mid-morning sky. Loki mounted a waiting horse as Charlotte was pulled up behind him. She held onto him tightly as the horse set off across the bridge towards the palace. Charlotte felt at ease as the palace began to tower over her. She knew what was to come but it was the thrill of almost knowing what was and wasn’t waiting for her. She stayed as close to Loki as she could as she was greeted by servants, noblemen, warriors and then the King as he embraced Charlotte with a smile.

“Welcome home, Charlotte.”

“Thank you.”

“If it’s all the same, I didn’t think he would come around,” he said admiring the ring on Charlotte’s finger.

“He just needed a little push,” she said with a smile.

Loki took her by the hand and led her away from the excitement as Odin watched over them. He led her to the balcony across from the Great Hall as Loki closed the curtains so they would be alone. From the balcony, Charlotte could see a great amount of the damage that was done to the city. People were working in groups to put the pieces of their lives and their city back together as she took a seat on the flat edge of the balcony near the curtains.

“I already know I’m not asleep but this feels so unreal.”

Loki leaned on the side of the palace next to Charlotte as he took his hand into hers.

“This,” he said kissing the back of her hand as he unbuttoned her winter coat, “is very real.”

“Their already planning the wedding, aren’t they? The servants seem so excited and they don’t even know me.”

“Tomorrow. At midnight, I’m choosing to shut myself away from you in your tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding.”

“So I only have a few hours with you? I don’t even have a dress.”

“Mother took care of that and other things,” he said leaning in to her.

He slipped the vial into her hand as he winked.

“And which thing is essential in this moment?”

“For things to begin again, to make them renewed, revitalized,” he said softly.

_Be sure to drink to whole thing tonight before midnight and slip the vial under my door._

Charlotte slipped the vial into her jeans as she embraced Loki.

“Thank you.”

“No, it I who should be thanking you but there is more.”

“About?”

“Tomorrow night, after the wedding. Just don’t say anything at first. After the wedding, we’ll be brought to what will be our bedchambers and it is tradition for them to witness. I feel like I’m asking for too much.”

“No,” said Charlotte as her voice began to shake, “I told you I would do this and you’re doing that not listening thing again. Okay, so fine. They’ll watch.”

“Just the first time. Once they have proof… They, uh, they’ll leave and then you’ll be all mine.”

“I’m already yours.”

Loki could sense her nerves as she held his hand.

“I know.”

“Wait, so what will happen to our bedrooms?”

“They’ll become our personal chambers. Mine will be for my magic and hopefully a studying chambers. Yours can be for whatever you want.”

“Mmm, ideas, ideas. It’s definitely not going to be a craft room,” she joked. “Can we see our room or do we have to wait?”

“We probably won’t see it until the next morning but I’m sure you’d like to see your room now, more preferably the unpetrified bed.”

“Yes, please.”

Charlotte followed Loki down the halls as she began to remember each turn. Left at the staircase, nine pillars, three sets of windows and the only door at the end of the hall. She pushed open the doors as and smiled at the sight of the room. The light cream colors made her smile as Loki he placed her bag on the ground and joined her on the bed. He wanted so badly to make love to her again but instead he looked to the band on Charlotte’s finger and smiled knowing that everyone was watching his every move.

“Stay with me, Loki.”

“Only for a little while, perhaps until you fall asleep.”

“All I’ve done the last few days is sleep.”

He put his arm around Charlotte’s waist as he waved away his armor and opened the windows. A warm breeze rolled through the room as Charlotte closed her eyes. She rolled to her other side and sank into Loki’s chest as she took in what she could of him.

_Don’t wake up. Don’t wake up…_


	12. The promise

 

It was Christmas Day. She remembered she was five. It was the day after Charlotte’s mother had stabbed her father. Her mother scoped Charlotte into her arms along with whatever else she could carry and drove them away as fast as she could. Her mother had a growing purple bruise on her face as she watched from the car seat in the back.

Charlotte remembered her mother waking her up on the other side of the car as they crossed the state border into Florida. They parked on the side of the road and celebrated with sodas. Clothes were in the trunk and they had each other. They had each other and it was all that mattered.

_Lottie…_

She could hear the clanking metal and the mighty laughter of more than one woman. The steady shuffling of feet shifted her from her side as she rubbed her eyes. One of them had fallen to the ground on her back.

_“Well done, my dear. Next time, keep your arm up, bent and strong so that your shield may protect you.”_

The fighting continued as Charlotte heard a louder, harsher thump.

_“Frigga? Where’d you go?”_

Charlotte’s eyes snapped open and headed for the door where the voice was coming from. There was no way…

Charlotte looked to a woman who was dressed in fresh armor with her back turned as she wiped her legs off from dirt. She turned, sending tears down Charlotte’s cheeks.

“Mom?”

The woman sheathed her sword and flew to the bed as Charlotte raced for her. She threw her arms around her mother, not wanting to let go. She didn’t care if this was a dream or if she was died from the car crash. She felt at ease from seeing her mother dressed as a warrior.

“I-I don’t…”

“Everything is alright, I am alright. She’s teaching me how to fight! I’m fighting alongside the queen!”

“Frigga?”

“She told me you were going to be queen too. I’m so proud of you, sweetie. I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“No, no. No, crying for me. Just try and make it down that aisle to him. I just wish I could have been there. Frigga said she had a dress for you already.”

“I don’t know what to say…”

Charlotte was speechless as her mother’s hand passed through her cheek.

“When you see him, you’ll know.”

She laid Charlotte back into bed as she wrapped her armor arm around her daughter and lulled her back to sleep, fading as Charlotte dreamily smiled.

-

A soft knock took her from her dream as the second sun was slowly starting to set on Asgard. Charlotte got to her feet, being met at the door by a servant that brought in a meal for her. She felt the metal vial clenching at her waist pocket as she finished her delicious meal in peace. She wasn’t really bothered the rest of the evening as she sat in her bath alone.

She pulled the vial from her pocket and pried the small top off. The liquid didn’t have a smell to it, still, she sighed and swallowed the whole tube as she coughed off the taste. It was like stale cherries but she kept the potion down, feeling nothing, no changes at first.

She moved from the washroom, refreshed and nervous as she held the vial in her hand. The fireplace was already lit as she spotted the blacked door next to her bed. Charlotte knew she couldn’t be with Loki in a certain way but she only wanted to hold him, fall asleep with him but it could wait. She knocked on the door silently, not knowing if he was on the other side.

A small tap came from the other side as a smile crossed her face. Charlotte opened the door a little as she rolled the vial into his room. It rolled for only a second as she heard a small scraping, knowing that he picked it up.

“I don’t really feel anything but nerves.”

“That is to be expected. I am more than sure that everything is going to be fine.”

“I had the weirdest dream about my mother. I woke up and she was there for a second dressed like one of you. I think Frigga found my mother in your guys’ afterlife. She was so beautiful and she was teaching her how to fight.”

Loki laughed but not to mock her.

“In Valhalla there are endless battles and your goblet never run empty of ales. A warrior’s death is met with Utopia in the afterlife.”

“Yeah, she sounded like she was enjoying getting her ass kicked. She looked so happy.”

“Sif will teach you as well with becoming queen. There are many things to learn.”

“I can’t wait.”

Charlotte brought he knees up to her chest.

“Are you having second thoughts?”

“No, but I was wondering if you can take the door away. I don’t want to sneak into your room in the middle of the night and ruin everything.”

“As you wish, my dear. I’ll see you at the end of the aisle.”

He pulled the door closed and willed it away as he was greeted with the bare wall. Charlotte was now well far from his reach. He looked to the metal vial and waved his hand to make it disappear. There was to be no evidence of this, he’d be damned to risk Charlotte’s safety now that he was so close. Loki sat on the edge of his bed and smiled as he reclined to his sheets. Nerves struck him true to his core. This time tomorrow he would be with Charlotte in their marriage bed with the witnesses to ensure that the consummation would follow through.

Fandral would take his father’s place but he wasn’t sure how Charlotte would truly act once they were alone. He cleared his head, knowing he would have to keep her focused. He closed his eyes and curled up on his side, wishing that Charlotte was in his arms but he knew he could wait for one more night.

Charlotte was already out of her robe and dressed in her nightgown. She tucked herself in to the warm bedsheets and closed her eyes, pushing the excitement away as she was pulled away into a restful sleep.

_Loki…_

He didn’t know if he was dreaming or if he was awake but he could hear her.

_I am here, my son._

He tried to pry his eyes open to see her, nevertheless he knew how brilliantly she would have been dressed. The fallen warrior queen of Asgard would be dressed in the finest of armors and her golden hair would be braided over her shoulder until it fell to the side of her valiant blade.

“Mother…”

He felt her arm wrap around him as he felt a tear fall from him. She pressed her warm lips to his cheek and moved from the bed.

_I am so proud of you, my son._

In the next moment, she was gone. Loki smiled as he was pulled deeper into his dreams now that he knew his mother was indeed safe in Valhalla.

-

“My lady?”

Charlotte was in a daze as she pulled the lapels of her robe closer together. A healer had administered a healing lotion for her skin and sore muscles so she would have one less thing to worry about. The after effect had made her feel lightheaded as she was forced to eat to keep her energy up.

“Yes?”

“It is here!”

There was so much energy in Charlotte’s room to ready her for the ceremony that it numbed her to her core. One thing was for sure, she could not stop smiling for the life of her. There were so many girls in the room, tripping over themselves wanting to help that most were ushered away by an older woman servant to make sure Charlotte wasn’t scared off.

“My apologies, my lady. Their youth becomes them.”

The sun had shone across the room as the woman unfolded a great amount of cloth on her bed. Under the wrapping was a simple flowing white dress that brought Charlotte to tears. The woman held up the dress for her as Charlotte looked to the fabric.

It was a grand rose colored gown, floor length with a train coming from the small of the back. The sleeves would hang at her wrists and the neckline was more than modest. In a smaller cloth, she was shown a simple choker identical to the one she wore the last time she visited Asgard. The emeralds had been changed to diamonds and sparkled with the suns touched their surface. They were so similar that Loki must have changed it just for her.

_One step at a time._

One step into her stockings, her garter, her corset. One step into the dress that took two girls to button and fix so the fabrics wouldn’t bunch under the train. One step into the impossibly perfect shoes that disappeared underneath the dress. She tried to keep up with the instructions being given out to the servant girls chosen to be her handmaidens. Charlotte looked to the girls behind her, doing their best to keep themselves calm.

“Do I really need four?”

“My lady, you are about to be married to the prince and tomorrow when the All-father cavaliers his highness, that will make you queen. Trust me.”

“It may be a while before I cannot feel so human to giving orders. Would you like to oversee them until I know how to? Like a handmatron?”

“My lady, I accept your most grateful notion but for now we must get you to the Prince.”

Charlotte took one breath after the next, feeling her finger swell to the silver band. Maybe she contracted a sudden allergy and her finger was having a terrible reaction. She knew it was only her mind playing tricks on her as her hair was pulled into its finishing touches.

When Frigga had sent her home, she had been convinced that she was to cut all the hair from her head and start fresh but every single time she reached for the scissors, she stopped thinking of how Loki liked the length of her hair. Now it was braided into a beautiful wave of brown curls and midnight blossoms, as per the prince’s request. Tassels of hair rained around her simple made up face as she was led to the door.

Her hand maidens were ordered to change their dresses and present themselves with her when she entered the chambers of the Great Hall. The moments began to mold themselves together as things sharpened around her. The girls arranged themselves holding parts of her dress as they started down the hall. She could tell in front of her that the servants made themselves scared as she placed one foot in front of the other.

The closer she got the more she could hear the wonderful commotion. She bit her red lips and held her sweaty palms together as she tried not to pass out from the thrill coursing through her. The doors of the Great Hall came in her sights as she held her breath. She was frighteningly still as the doors opened. People Charlotte had never seen before where lined as far within the room as she could see. Every face was turned to her with smiling wonder and astonishment.

 _You can do this_ , she whispered to herself.

She narrowed her sights to the end of the Hall to the various points of shining metals. She could see Fandral, Sif and other of the King’s warriors dressed in their finest. A step closer was Thor with Jane at his side. She was full of excitement herself as they stood side by side. She could also see the All-Father at the base of the stairs as he raised his hands towards Charlotte. If Frigga was here, perhaps she would have made things a bit easier to get through.

She didn’t realize that she had started walking down the decorated hall. She couldn’t really hear but she heard the faint, happy whispers of the guests, keeping their eyes on her. Charlotte was near the middle of the aisle when she realize that it was her wedding, that she was about to get married. She almost stopped when a calm, soothing voice filled her mind.

 _Beautiful_.

Charlotte looked up to Loki as he stood to the right in his stunning armor, looking down the aisle to Charlotte. He was covered in royal green and shining armor that almost matched the diamonds on her choker. His hair was shorter and combed back to perfection but all of that was more than unnoticeable to her as she was caught up in his smile.

Frigga had truly out done herself as Charlotte walked down the aisle with her handmaidens lifting the ends of her dress in perfect symmetry. The fabric was more than to be expected as was the fresh midnight blossoms that peaked from the waving strands of her hair. She was a vision with the exception of her nervous thoughts. He tried to read them, hearing a sharp whisper, only for it to disappear in the next moment.

He pushed a single message to Charlotte as she snapped herself out of her trance. The minute she looked up, he knew she was finally his.

One by one they all began to disappear. The noblemen, the servants, the warriors. The room was now a quiet assembly with the exception of herself and Loki. She reached the end of the aisle, accepting Loki’s hand as he extended it to her. She smiled sincerely as they turned to the All-father, raising his hands to the majesty of the Great Hall.

“A joyous day such as this has come to us from a wave of darkness that has been ascended to our realm. Today is a day of jubilant revolution. A prince ascends to the heart of Asgard with a strong, promising Valkyrie of Midgard that is attached to his own. On this exultant day, we welcome a warrior princess to Asgard.”

Cheers filled the hall as Charlotte jumped. Loki smiled as she looked over her shoulder to them as they cheered for her.

“They know how you saved him,” whispered Loki as he knelt to her ear.

Charlotte faced forward again as Odin took her hand from Loki.

“Frigga is smiling down upon you, my child, as am I.”

He kissed Charlotte’s forehead as Loki took her hand again. She turned to Loki, feeling the dress hold her steady and upright as she faced him.

“Charlotte Manning, warrior of Midgard, do you swear to bind yourself to him until the ends of time ascend Hell upon the realm eternal and towards the gates of Valhalla? Do you choose to stand beside Loki, bear the greatness of the Asgardian Blades, fighting until the last breath?”

“I swear,” she spoke clearly as she clenched Loki’s hand.

She felt her voice ring from the ceiling as tears welled in Loki’s eyes.

“Loki Odinson, prince of Asgard, do you choose Charlotte as yours, to lift her up to the Heavens and fight alongside her in the greatest of battles the universe has to offer? Do you swear to show her love and care for her as is a husband’s right?”

“I swear.”

“With the power vested in my by the powers of Asgard and the whole of Yggdrasil, I proclaim you husbands and wife! You may kiss your bride.”

They tried to wait until his words were finished. Loki had reached around to Charlotte and pulled her close as she opened her arms up and wrapped them around Loki. She felt the dress attempt to resist as Loki took Charlotte into his arms and kissed her at the base of the throne.

The hall cheered and applauded as Loki pulled himself away from Charlotte. He took her hand and kissed the ring, making the metal thinner and smoother as a silver band appeared on his hand. This was no longer impossible or unreal. The merriment, the liveliness. Charlotte took Loki's face into her hands and kissed him again for all of Asgard to see.


	13. To keep

 

Charlotte wanted so badly to stay by Loki’s side but found it impossible as her handmaidens pulled her away to a different room to change from her wedding dress. The servants of the palace were busy with setting up tables for the feast but it would be done in no time at all. With the invasion just days earlier, a royal wedding brought up everyone spirits.

The maidens were too giddy to see the smile that never left Charlotte’s face. She looked up to the handmatron that returned her smile, holding the newer dress as the nimble fingers pulled her out of her gown.

“I’m married,” she said in a single breath.

“You made quite the lovely bride, my lady and you shall make a much fairer queen, I am sure.”

She was dressed in a looser dress that fit her better and not so tightly. She moved her braid over her shoulder as she removed her choker and chained it around her wrist. A firm knock came at the door and was answered as Loki waited in the threshold. The ladies all bowed and hurried to the matron.

“Ladies,” clapped the handmatron, “Let’s give them a moment. We have other tasks at hand to finish.”

“Not to worry, ladies. I am only here for her, I’ll be sure to bring her back in the condition she was taken.”

The maidens bowed and left the room as Loki took her hand.

“Come, my dear. Don’t you know there is a celebration awaiting you or are you trying to lure me to the shadows in that gown?”

“I’m sure I’m the one that’s behaving.”

“I seem to remember warning you to wear another elegant gown in my presence.”

“Nice to see that you’re still an ass.”

Loki pulled her along, running with Charlotte as they laughed, turning at each corner of the palace until they returned to the Great Hall. The King’s warriors were there, greeting the couple as they entered the grandly decorated hall. They were met with cheers and raised goblets as they made their way to the main table.

Charlotte sat next to Loki as the tables filled with food and the goblets were filled with wines and ales. She held Loki’s hand, enjoying that if he was to let go, it would still be there waiting for her unrushed and strong. It was all so real.

“Here is the Prince and his lovely Princess!”

She remembered them as the warriors three and Lady Sif, pacing to the table as the guests began to deepen the celebration of the wedding feast. Charlotte was first from her seat as she embraced each of the warriors with a towering and elegant Sif lifting her from her feet. Loki joined them with Thor arriving with Jane.

“My lady, I am most enlivened to show you how the fiercest of maiden shall become victorious in battle and teach you to become a true Asgardian!”

Charlotte couldn’t help but smile and feel accepted.

“I can’t wait, Lady Sif and thank you.”

“Brother! The Heavens shine down upon you today as does the newest member of the royal family.”

Thor stepped forward with Jane as Charlotte greeted them.

“Lady Charlotte, welcome back to Asgard. I wish to apologize for my past actions and hope that it has left you angered.”

“You didn’t know, Thor. I forgive you.”

“This is Jane Foster of Midgard.”

“Hi.”

Jane had stepped forward and hugged Charlotte and led her away from the table as Thor began to speak quietly with Loki.

“So are you from America?”

“Yes, and you?”

“I’m from New York, originally but I’ve spent the last few years in New Mexico. That’s where I met Thor.”

“I’ve been only to a few places on the East Coast. Georgia and then Florida when I was younger but recently I was in Delaware.”

“Do you think you’ll miss it? Earth, I mean?”

“Not really, I don’t have any more ties to Earth. My home is here now.”

“And we welcome her with open arms.”

The girls turned to Odin as he greeted them with a warm smile. Jane gave a half curtsy and turned back for Thor. Charlotte accepted Odin’s hand and led her to the middle of the floor for a small dance. She didn’t feel any eyes on her as she looked to Loki who was doing a wonderful job at ignoring Thor with a small bit of worry in his eyes.

“You know there is a chance that if Frigga were here, she would have made this a much bigger event. Colors and merriment would be pouring from the windows until the suns raised.”

“I have no doubts that she’s having that celebration now in Valhalla.”

Odin let out a hearty chuckle.

“I heard Sif shall be tutoring you in battle.”

“She seems more than excited about it than I am.”

“With becoming a new queen, I would like the chance along with your handmatron to thoroughly teach you of our ways whenever Loki isn’t keeping you to himself.”

“Thank you, All-father. I would greatly appreciate that.”

“And I also believe under the circumstances, you may call me Odin, my lady.”

Odin kissed her brow and bowed away as Loki approached them. He bowed to his father as Odin folded his hands behind his back and headed for the door. Loki wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close to him as he could. Loki took in everything of her afraid that he’d wake in his prison cell without her

“I have just learned the strangest thing from Jane. Did you know that it was a grand Midgardian holiday today? Christmas, I think she called it and that it is celebrated everywhere on your world.”

“Yes, it is,” she smiled.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you were already my present. Plus, you can’t really top a Christmas wedding.”

Loki chuckled, keeping his eyes to the window as the first sun began to set.

“You seem a bit worried, Loki.”

“You remember what is to happen after this.”

 _Shit_ , she thought to herself. She had completely forgotten about that.

“In a sense,” she lied.

“Would you care for the good news or the bad news?”

“I’ll take the good news, just to keep the party going.”

Loki leaned his head closer so no one close would hear them.

“There is more wine before tonight is through.”

“You’re trying to get me inebriated.”

“Only something strong to take off the edge. Not now but soon, we’ll leave and prepare for the night. You’ll have your maidens and I’ll be with Thor and Fandral.”

“Who’s gonna to be watching?”

“That’s the bad news. In the ceremony, the king is supposed to witness the consummation of his successor.”

“What?”

None of this was a problem to Charlotte until now. She didn’t want to insult any traditions but grew increasingly nervous as she tried to stay steady on her feet.

“Thor has agreed to take his place. Fandral and your handmatron will be near as witnesses as well but once it’s done they will collect the linens and depart.”

“Why? I mean, what happens with the linens?”

“They are taken and burned as a good omen for bearing children and conceiving an heir.”

“Okay…”

Charlotte was having a hard time grasping the single word in her mind. _Children_. She never thought she would ever be married, let alone be a suitable mother. She took a breath and wanted badly to get more wine into her system.

“Tell me what is wrong.”

“I-I… I can’t explain it. Not here.”

Loki stopped dancing with Charlotte as he cupped the side of her face.

“I give you my word, now as your husband, that everything will be alright.”

“I love you, Loki. I just want you to know that.”

“And I love you, my Charlotte. We have until the last of the setting suns. Shall we?”

“Wait. Look, there may be a ceremony but maybe we don’t give them the full show.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I mean let’s just make it quick and dirty, that way when they leave, we’ll have the rest to the night to us.”

“Are you sure?”

She bit her lips and stepped forward, feeling Loki hard against her leg.

“Are you,” she whispered. She touched the back of her hand to Loki’s trousers as he bit back a moan. He had been trying to keep himself at bay so that the ceremony wouldn’t be ruined.

“Young woman, if you don’t want to put on a show then I suggest you behave yourself.”

“I shall, my prince.”

Charlotte followed Loki back to the tables and indulged in as much wine as she could bear. She stopped not wanting the wine to define her the rest of her evening. She merged with as much of the guests as she could, meeting other members of the court and acknowledging the servants. She even talked with the smaller children of the guests and gave them a few of her midnight blossoms from her hair. Near the door, she would catch sight of other servants gathering for a look at her. She waved each time, filling them with joy as they turned to leave.

Loki took her to the floor one last time, dancing slowly with her as he enchanted the ceiling. Snowflakes fell around them as the guests stood astonished. The children clapped and reached up to the ceiling as they were hoisted on their father’s strong shoulders.

“A gift for you and the guests. This is going to be a distraction for them as we depart.”

Charlotte only held on tightly to Loki, holding him close as they watched the last sun set over the higher mountains.

“It’s time,” he whispered to her.

“Okay.”

Loki kissed her on the lips and led her to a hidden door where her handmatron was waiting for her.

“Wait, what about you?”

“Now I go with Thor and Fandral.”

“Fine, just don’t go running off and getting into trouble.”

“Ugh,” he sighed mockingly, “Was there a reason why I married you?”

“Because I said yes.”

Charlotte nodded as she let go of Loki’s hand. She had done whatever it was necessary to push what was going to happen from her mind. If the potion didn’t work, they would be tried for treason and thrown into the dungeons. She didn’t want to picture herself separated from Loki.

“My lady?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have a thing to worry about. A wedding night is nothing to fret.”

“I kn… I’m already aware of what happens.”

“My apologies, you seem scared.”

“I’ll be fine, uh… What is your name?”

“Eloy, my lady.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eloy.”

She was told that the handmaidens were preparing their new chambers while she was getting ready. Eloy unbraided her hair and ran a light amount of oils that calmed her. She was glad to be rid of the corset and was able to wash herself as Eloy waited on the other side of the curtain.

Charlotte wasn’t sure why she was nervous about something like this. She and Loki had sex so many times before and now was only a tradition for Loki to take the throne. She was doing this for him. Frigga made the potion for her, meaning that this was a big deal for them. It would be over and everyone in the room would be gone.

She moved from the curtain with an elegant flowing robe wrapped tightly around her. The darkened color clashed with her pale skin as she stepped out from behind the curtain. Charlotte had wiped off all of her makeup so that way she wouldn’t sweat it all off in the bedchambers. She unlocked the choker from her wrist and entrusted it to Eloy until the next day, knowing she would keep it safe. Eloy had lit an oddly decorated candle and she had also changed her dress for the occasion.

“The route to the bedchambers has been cleared to no one will see you.”

“Thank you.”

Charlotte by now was shaking but she could explain it as a chill that was roaming through the palace. Eloy held open the door for her as Charlotte slowly made her way into the hall. Eloy kissed her on the brow to ease her as Charlotte smiled.

“Follow me, my lady.”

She followed the Eloy’s silhouette down the halls as the silence eased her more. Before she could hear the servants halls away working but now all she could hear was her own footsteps. She pushed her hair to her shoulder as they climbed a staircase higher into the palace towards the bedrooms belonging to the royal family.

She turned her head up to the next hallway that was decorated with candles. There was a second set of footsteps on the other side of the hall much farther from the door past where a man in red robes stood. Charlotte was the first to reach the door as she looked to Loki as he was dressed in a robe of his own.

“Have you anything to confess,” asked the man.

She wasn’t sure of what to say. Was she supposed to say something specific? What if they already found out that she really wasn’t a virgin and waited for her to confess? Charlotte felt her heart beat from her chest as she looked up to the man.

“No. I don’t.”

He nodded and stepped aside as the door was opened for her. Charlotte stepped inside as Loki stopped at the door. She could tell from the slight echo that the room was larger than Loki’s but they wouldn’t be able to see until tomorrow at sunrise. There was a single candle lit in the room next to the bed. In her mind, there was nothing special about it with the exception of the thin bed linens.

_This is it._

She looked over her shoulder to the door as she saw Loki hold out his wrist to Thor. He had closed a small silver bangle around his wrist as it glowed brightly for a second then dimmed until it disappeared.

Loki entered the chambers and slowly made his way to Charlotte as she stood completely still. The minute Loki touched her, she clung onto him like a child as he held her close. She touched the bangle, looking down to it in wonder in the dim candle light.

“It suppresses my powers. It is forbidden for any power to be used until the ceremony is over.”

Loki reached for the ties of Charlotte’s robe as she looked a bit over her shoulder. Eloy’s candle had been extinguished the moment the doors shut. She couldn’t hear them but she could feel Thor’s and Fandral’s eyes on her as she began to shake again.

“Now what,” she asked.

“I don’t want to put you on the bed until you are ready. They won’t see anything if we don’t allow it. Place your arm on my shoulder.”

She did as Loki opened her robe to his hungry eyes. His arm had snaked under the open robe, hiding his hand as it rested at her naked back. His other arm wandered up her side to the back of her neck, craddling her head as he placed a kiss at her neck.

“I know you want this over quickly but you aren’t Aesir yet and I don’t wish to hurt you. I want to prepare you so it won’t hurt.”

She swallowed the lump at the back of her throat as she shook her head, unsure if he could see her in the near dark. Her draped arm hid his as it tipped her chin up to him. He brushed his lips to hers as he placed a soft kiss to her lips.

“Just focus on me, Charlotte. Just look at me, hear me…”

Her eyes had fallen shut as his thumb traced her nipple, untensing her as his visible arm held her to him. They had formed a small cocoon as Loki slowly moved his hand down her stomach, brushing softly at her thigh.

_They aren’t there. They aren’t there. Only Loki…_

Charlotte willed herself to bite back any moans should they have tried to slip from her. Her head rolled to Loki’s shoulder as he slowly stroked her lips. She spread her legs a bit giving Loki move room for his fingers as he slipped one into her. Charlotte winced as he curled his finger to her. She knew in the back of her mind that the potion must have worked. Every time before, it was always easy and quick but now it hurt from only one finger stretching her.

Loki pushed in another finger in as she felt herself start to get wetter. She whimpered, almost losing her grip on Loki as she turned her face into his neck. He moved his thumb to her clit and pressed enough for her to enjoy herself with thinking of anything else.

“Shh, that’s my girl. Just a bit longer.”

She fought like hell to not rock her hips into his hand. She wanted them to see as little as possible, not to give them any reason to question her actions to something like this. Charlotte felt the familiar coil in her stomach as she bit the inside of her mouth so she wouldn’t be heard. The more she slowly thrash against him, the harder Loki grew. Charlotte stood on her toes as he legs closed around his hand. She began to slide in his grip as Charlotte came. She only held on to the back of Loki’s neck and panted in his ear.

“You are ready, Charlotte.”

Her face was flushed as she let Loki slid the robe from her shoulders. She kept her eyes forward, refusing to look anywhere else as his removed his own robe and let it fall to the floor. Loki pulled her close, bending her back to the bed as he pulled the thin bed sheet back for them. Loki shielded her to the best of his ability as Charlotte moved across the bed.

Loki settled himself next to Charlotte as he enveloped her skin with his ravenous lips. He moved between her legs, settling himself to the mattress as he pressed himself against Charlotte. She let out a small gasp as she felt the tip of his cock hard against her clit.

“Just focus on me, Charlotte. Keep your eyes on me.”

He eased his fingers into her again. This time it didn’t hurt and she wanted more as he kissed at the nape of her neck. He wanted to make sure she was fully ready.

“Just do it, Loki. Please.”

“I knew I’d get you to beg,” he whispered teasingly.

Charlotte giggle as she took Loki’s lips. He snaked his hand under her hips, lifting her from the bed for a moment as he lined his hips with hers. For both of them, the moment was suspended in time. Loki looked down to his bride, both beautiful and scared. Charlotte opened her eyes for a second as she looked up to Loki. She looked into his eyes and felt herself lost but calm as she smiled.

Loki arched his head down to her as he pushed in a bit. Charlotte clenched her eyes shut, wincing at his size as he slowly pushed further. This was the final moment.

He pushed one final time as a painful whine filled the room. Charlotte did her best to stay silent but the minute she felt a small jolt of pain course through her, she knew it had was finally done. Her nails dug into Loki’s neck as he sighed in relief but not to his benefit. Now he had to focus on easing Charlotte’s pain.

His cock was still growing impossibly hard as he focused on finishing the ceremony for Charlotte. He pressed his thumb to her clit as she slowly molded between him and the mattress. Quick and dirty, as she had called it. The minimal foreplay and nothing else. He would do this for her. She held on as tight as she could manage as the coil in her stomach returned.

“Just relax…”

Charlotte stared up to the ceiling as her body slowly began to latch to Loki. Her breath was hot at his neck as she raked her nails into the flesh of his ass. She didn’t want to put on a show more than she had to but she couldn’t resist not touching him as his hips snaked more sharply into her. Colors filed her eyesight as she came holding Loki as tightly as she could. Loki growled softly as her walls constricted around his cock.

He buried his face into the side of her neck and sucked harshly as she nearly dangled in his arms. Loki had formed his lips into Charlotte’s skin at the perfect moment, masking the sound of his release as he emptied himself into her.

Loki let go of her neck and slowly eased themselves to the bed. In the candlelight, he watched Charlotte slowly gasping for breath as she kept her eyes closed. Her lips were swollen from biting them and dark marks had covered the side of her neck. He kissed Charlotte’s cheek as she took her time to come down from her high.

He pulled himself out of Charlotte, covering her with the sheet as he reached over the side of the bed for their robes. Charlotte pried her eyes open as she tried to concentrate on moving from the bed. A sharp pain stopped her as she clutched the sheets to her body. Loki knelt on the side of the bed, covering Charlotte first, only reaching for his robe until she was ready. Loki tied his robe as quickly as he could and helped Charlotte from the bed.

He backed away with her far enough as Loki embraced her. She could hear the heavy footsteps obviously belonging to Thor as Loki held out his wrist. The door opened as light began to fill the room. Charlotte turned her head to the door as the man in red waited for Charlotte’s handmaiden to collect the linens.

“Charlotte, don’t look.”

It was too late as she watched the handmaidens pull the top sheet from the bed to reveal a fair amount of blood staining the sheet. Charlotte felt weak as she turned her head to the door. The sheets were collected and placed into the man’s hand as he stared to the bloodied sheets and nodded.

She turned her face into Loki’s chest as tears welled at the sides of her eyes. She didn’t know that there was so much blood as she started to feel weak against Loki/ Thor removed the bangle from his brother’s wrist and left without a words alongside Fandral. Eloy waved her hand back for the handmaidens arriving with fresh sheets and headed for what Loki concluded as the washroom.

“No,” ordered Loki as he finally broke the silence, “I will take care of that.”

“As you wish, your highness.”

She turned back to the bed as Loki picked up Charlotte and hurried for the washroom. He closed the door behind him and willed the door away for the moment so the servants’ whispers wouldn’t be heard under the door. He waved his hand, illuminating the washroom and looked down to Charlotte.

She was still clutched to him as he filled the bath with warm, scented water. He tilted Charlotte’s head up as he saw the tears streaming down her face.

“It’s over. You did so well, darling.”

“I can’t…”

Charlotte sobbed softly as Loki tried to soothe her. He encased them in an illusion around them as he held her tightly.

“I’m sorry, Charlotte.”

“I-It worked, Loki.”

“I have never doubted my mother’s magic. I told you everything would be well, didn’t I?”

She nodded, agreeing with him as she wiped her eyes.

“I was so scared that it wasn’t going to work and I was gonna get taken away from you. I just… I didn’t want to lose you again, Loki. Out of everything we’ve been through, I didn’t want to fucking lose you!”

“I am here now, my love and it will take a great amount of Hel to separate you from me.”

Charlotte pulled Loki down for a kiss as he picked her up from the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he worked both of their robes off. He settled them in the water as the temperature slowly started to warm Charlotte’s body.

Loki sat her on his lap as he washed the small smudges of blood from her thighs. He grew hard again as Charlotte rested her head against his neck and left small kisses at his throat.

“What did I tell you about behaving?”

“You should really know that I’m not one to behave, your highness,” she purred into his neck.

He moaned, holding on her to legs as she turned on his lap.

“You need to heal for a moment.”

Loki waved his hand and summoned a small bowel of cream. He dipped his hand in and applied a generous amount to Charlotte’s core as she jumped.

“It’s cold!”

His heart faltered as he thought back to his self-revelation.

“Charlotte, there is something I must confess to you. Something I wish I could have told you before I asked you to be mine. I feel selfish for keeping this from you but it was for good reason.”

Loki moved Charlotte to the edge of the bath as he sat back and held his breath. He willed his form to weaken. He could feel the surface of his skin cool the water as his Jotun form became visible. He watched Charlotte’s jaw drop as she looked to him. His breath caught in his throat as his hand formed into fists. She watched him present himself to her as darker lines formed to his skin and his eyes glazed of with crimson.

“I understand if you are infuriated or frightened. I promised you I wouldn’t lie and I should have told you in Midgard…”

Charlotte had crossed the bath and braced Loki as she took his frozen lips. She shuddered from his freezing skin against hers. Loki felt Charlotte’s skin fevered against his as he pressed himself to her. She pulled herself away and studied his skin.

“Can everyone else do this?”

“I am not truly Asgardian but of Jotunnhiem. I found out of my true parentage but know I am thankful of Odin and Frigga providing for me and saving me from death.”

“And I am grateful for you showing me this. Don’t think for a second that this will make me love you any less.”

She pressed herself against Loki as he moaned into her lips. His hands roamed her body as he grew harder again. He leaned Charlotte back on his lap as his lips left a chilling trail down her neck to the start of her breasts. Charlotte dangled from his strong arm as he ravenously tasted the fresh sweat and water on her chest.

His lips darted out to capture one of her nipples, sucking lightly as her moans filled the washroom. Charlotte cradled his neck as her hips bucked to him.

“Oh god, Loki.”

His lips let her go as he moved to her other breast, drawing more hungry moans form her. Her nails raked his scalp as he willed his natural form away. He knew he was going to die if he wasn’t going to have her again. First, he wanted to toy with her.

“Is there something you require, my beautiful wife?”

“I just need your cock, Loki. I’d much prefer it if it was attached to the rest of you.”

He smiled as he pulled them from the bath, leaving the water for the servant s for the next day. Charlotte was pulled to his chest as he brought back the door. They listened to the room, hearing nothing but a crackling fire as they opened the door. Charlotte was eager to look around as Loki swooped her from her feet and raced to the fresh bed with her.

She giggled as he placed her on the mattress and yanked the covers from underneath her. Loki wasted no time in looking at anything but Charlotte. She was finally his. His wife, his true companion, his princess, his love as he drew in her lips. They were now unswollen and soft as his teeth raked across them.

“Shall we continue,” he grinned as he ran his fingers against her waiting core.

“I thought you’d never ask.”


	14. To hold forever

 

Smoke had stopped raising from the outsides of the borders of the city. The farmers were busy raising for the day and starting to tend to their livestock. Odin looked over his shoulder to the glowing hum to the sun about to peer over the side of the abyss. He tried to sleep but found the events of the previous days to be too exciting.

He had wanted to continue grieving for Frigga but in his heart, she was in a better place. He’d taken a few hours rest, raising when the Scribe had successfully burned the marriage linens. He smiled to the fortune of Loki finally taking the throne with Charlotte by his side. He wondered the palace and made his way down the rainbow bridge to Heimdall. The long and steady walk cleared most of his head, making him decide what the first thing he would teach Charlotte.

He entered the Bifrost as Heimdall was steadfast, looking out on the stars as Odin stood by his side near the edge of the monument. He pulled the metal vial he found floating in the void and studied the surface.

“What action should we take now, All-Father?”

“None. He followed the rules.”

“The rules?”

“She was made pure again. There was no rule against that. I remember when Frigga made the one for herself. She made us wait until she was sure it worked. I have never doubted her magic them and I will refuse to doubt it now.”

“Lady Charlotte was willing to put everything on the line for him.”

“And it paid off but she never wanted the throne, now she has her companion.”

With the flick of his wrist, Odin threw Loki’s metal vial into the abyss as Odin turned back towards the castle.

“It has been an honor serving you, All-Father.”

“Yes, within a few hours’ time, we will have a new King and his queen to serve.”

-

The curtains were still drawn as the first of the suns peaked from the bottom of cloth. Loki stretched out on his back with Charlotte sound asleep on his chest. Her hair still beautifully reeked of the oils from the night before. He pushed the hair from her face as he looked down to her.

She was still here and she was finally his. Charlotte moaned in her sleep as she turned away on her other side. Loki rolled with her, kissing her shoulder, wanting so badly to make her scream again. Charlotte had given Loki the wedding night she had promised him. They made love three more times that night before giving in to exhaustion.

It wasn’t even a whole day of her becoming his wife that he couldn’t get enough of her. His lips led a trail of kisses to her neck as his hand wandered between her legs. Charlotte moaned into her arm as she slowly started to wake.

“How many,” she asked as she pushed herself into his hand.

“How many what?”

“Children. I have a feeling you won’t stop until you know something sticks so you may as well tell me now.”

“I did promise Frigga a child with her name.”

“A girl…”

Loki curled his finger into her as her head fell back to his shoulder. Loki growled, growing hard as he snaked himself under her arm and latched to her breast.

“We will need strong warriors for the Asgardian army,” he purred into her skin.

“That means at least three boys,” she giggled as Loki pulled away from her and wandered down her body.

“Perhaps as many as you can carry. Your myths of a Princess Leda say that she carried two sets of twins at the same time with one of them being a god.”

He kissed her stomach and moved between her legs as she wrapped them at his waist.

“I know that myth.”

“I think we can top that.”

“Do you?”

Loki grinned taking Charlotte’s lips for himself as he thrusted into her. Charlotte whimpered as he stretched her beautifully. Her head fell back as Loki held her close. Charlotte dug her nails into Loki’s back, bucking her hips into him as he indulged her. He didn’t rush but made sure that each of his thrusts counted. His breath coated the side of Charlotte’s neck as he lifted her up from the mattress.

He sat on his heels with Charlotte rolling her hips on his lips. The thought of Charlotte pregnant with his child sent him into a frenzy as he pushed her back into the mattress. Her voice carried to the ceiling as she opened her mouth and begged him for more.

“I cannot wait to see you with an heir, my dear.”

He was painfully close as Charlotte’s back arched from the bed. Her nails dug into him enough to break the skin on his arms as he pounded harder into her. He sank his teeth into her shoulder as he twitched in her. Loki came, emptying himself into Charlotte as his ears where filled with her pleasured screams. He panted, wanting to stay in Charlotte. He pulled away and pulled Charlotte to his chest as she regained her breath. She could feel their mixture dripping between her legs as she looked into Loki’s eyes.

“You are truly beautiful.”

“So are you,” whispered Charlotte as she wrapped her arm around his stomach.

“Shall we see our bedchambers?”

Loki’s hand glowed as he willed the curtains open one by one. They watched as light filled the spacious room. It was indeed bigger than Loki’s one room and her combined. The walls were a beautiful forest green. Wardrobes and furniture filled the edges of the room as did the grand marble fireplace. One of the walls were lined with shelves of books and a few of Charlotte’s trinkets as they smiled to the room.

“It looks better than I imagined,” smiled Loki as he kissed her brow.

“I never want to get up from this bed.”

“Ah, but we must. The coronation will be soon and you must get ready.”

Charlotte groaned as she tried to moved, still feeling a painful hum between her legs.

“I think I need to sit on some ice.”

“No need,” said Loki as he turned his hand blue.

Charlotte gasped at her husband’s frigid fingers as they molded between her legs.

“Just think about how in a few hours when you are made Aesir, I will no longer need to hold back myself from you.”

“What happens if they dress me in a gown again?”

“Then punishment shall be handed out accordingly,” he grinned.

Time had passed too soon as the servants knocked on the bedchamber doors to prepare Loki and Charlotte for the coronation. Eloy arrived with the rest of the handmaidens with another dress commissioned again by Frigga, who was more than confidant that Charlotte would stay in Asgard with Loki.

She frowned, hoping that Loki won’t ruin such a dress as stunning as this. It was a peach colored gown that draped from her shoulders with more material acting as the dress underneath. Eloy fastened the dress with silver stringing that blended itself into her skin. The maidens pulled her hair back into a low bun as earrings appeared at her ears.

“You should do without the choker,” said Loki from the other side of the curtain.

She blushed as makeup was applied to her neck to hide the love marks. Charlotte stepped out and smiled to Loki dressed in a full suit of battle armor. Under his arm was a gold helmet with long horns that bent back triumphantly as he placed it on his head.

“Wow! I almost mistook you for a Disney prince.”

“But I am a prince, none the less, my princess.”

“They are ready, your highnesses,” said Eloy as she entered the room for the handmaidens.

“Shall we,” he asked as he extended his hand to Charlotte.

“Come on, your highness,” said Charlotte as she pulled him into the hall with a few of the guards waiting to guide them back to the Throne room.

“Give us a kiss?”

“Are you going to be used to getting everything you want?”

“Just thought I’d ask,” he said with a wink.

“Figured,” she said stepping to her toes and kissing him on the cheek.

-

Charlotte remembered how intimidating the throne looked from the other side of the room. She was led down the aisle by Thor as they were met with the constant round of applause. She felt the gown flowing behind her as she waved and smiled to the crowd. She was helped up the stairs and waited as she looked to the assembly. Around the stairs was also the warriors Three and Lady Sif and in a formation to the side. Odin appeared at the top step of the throne, smiling out to the hall as trumpets filled the room overshadowing the praise. Charlotte looked to the entrance as Loki appeared in armor, cape and helmet.

The citizens of Asgard roared with applause again as Loki strode down the aisle tall and stately towards the grand throne were Odin stood. Charlotte caught his smile of accomplishment as he stopped and knelt to Odin. He removed his helmet, placing it at his bent knee and met the eyes of his friends, ending with Charlotte as she beamed down to him. He tossed a playful wink to her as she giggled and shook her head.

“Do you swear to guard the nine realms?”

“I swear.”

“Do you swear to preserve the peace?”

“I swear.”

“Do you swear to cast aside selfish ambition for the good of the realm?”

“I swear!”

“Do you swear to rule with fairness alongside your fellow warriors? To rule with Gungnir that has been passed down for countless millennia over all of Yggdrasil.”

Odin waved his hand as a long golden scepter appeared in his hand. He had a wonderful poker face as he stepped down to Loki and tapped the floor with the end of the scepter.

“Then on this day, I, Odin, All-father of this realm proclaim you as King!”

Odin’s hand glowed as he placed it on Loki’s head. A great amount of rifting energy flowed into Loki as Odin grunted almost in pain. He sighed, smiling as he took a single step back.

Loki rose to his feet as Odin held the scepter in both hands, bowing his head.

“My King…”

Loki accepted the scepter, taking a moment for himself as he looked to the golden staff. He took in a steady breath and turned to the citizens of Asgard. He rose the scepter high above his head and roared with accomplishment as a wave of ovation filled the hall. He smirked as he looked over his shoulder to Charlotte.

She was close to tears as she felt proud of Loki. Frigga would have been so proud of him and how he had changed. Odin held a hand up to the crowd, silencing the court as he lifted his second hand to Charlotte. She stepped forward as Odin presented her with a silvered jewel tiara. She bowed to Odin as placed the tiara on her head as Loki looked to her with love in his eyes.

“My queen,” smiled Odin as he kissed her hand and stepped back next to Thor.

“My queen,” sighed Loki as he took Charlotte’s hand and pulled her close.

He wrapped his arm at her waist and left a kiss to her lips as the court cheered.

“My King,” she beamed as she took a single step back for the sun to shine on Loki.

Loki roared with the warriors and the crowd as their cries could be heard from the Heavens.

-

_One year later_

 

Loki had heard news from various soldiers.

The queen was resting, learning what she could from Eloy when she was in bed and from Odin when he caught her walking the palace halls by herself. Despite her condition He promised to put selfish ambition aside but nothing was ever said about an illusion to trick his enemies into attacking each other and shortening a lengthy raiding war by a few months.

The Bifrost carried all of the warriors and their captured enemies back to Asgard. Loki stood as the first onto the platform as he watched the pillagers be carried off to the prisons. Thor gave orders to the remaining warriors to get the wounded to the Healing Room. He turned seeing the King anxious to leave but he always waited until every warrior was home. The minute the Bifrost closed, he nodded to Heimdall and tried to keep up with Loki.

He was in a mad dash across the Bifrost, teleporting himself at the entrance to the grand stair case of the palace. He took a few of the servants by surprise as he raced for his bedchambers. Odin had been walking towards Loki with his book open as he stopped in front of Loki.

“My King, welcome back. Another victory for your books.”

“Please, I need to see her.”

“Are you aware that you are bleeding? You really don’t want to scare her at a time like this.”

Thor flew through the window with Mjolnir in his hand as he tried to catch his breath.

“Brother, you should take a minute for yourself.”

“I wish to take it for her.”

“If I may,” started Odin, “as your advisor, may I suggest fixing your extremities? A quick visit to the Healing Room and change of wardrobe? I’m sure it will take no time at all.”

Loki sighed in a quiet frustration wanting to plow through his father to get to Charlotte.

“I am sorry. I didn’t…”

“But as your father, I give you my word that they will still be there behind those doors when you arrive.”

Loki nodded and willed himself to turn around in the direction of the Healing room. He eased himself, only to be filled with excitement again as he thought of Charlotte. He didn’t know before he left, he had been so busy with his new duties and with so much training along with _training_ of his own with Charlotte. So much time, so many months and he should have known.

With a bandage at his leg and a fresh robes around him, he raced in the shadows and the secret staircases to his bedchambers as the first of the suns started to raise. He stopped at the doors, pressing his ear as he heard the minimal feminine laughter on the other side. His heart was nearly bursting from his chest as the door opened with Eloy being taken by surprise.

“Your highness,” she silently bowed, “I was about to fetch the queen something to nourish herself. Would you care for something?”

“I will take anything and free at ease to take your time.”

“Yes, my king.”

“Thank you for watching over her.”

Eloy bowed and started off down the hallway as Loki took in the moment. He was already in the room with the door closed behind him as he looked to Charlotte. Her back was turned as her long hair hid her nightgown. Her quiet laughter brought a smile to his face. She turned her head up and looked over her shoulder.

“Hello, my dear.”

“It took you long enough.”

She paced the room to Loki and wrapped her arms around her as he swept her off the floor and spun her in his arms. He set her down and kissed her lips, missing the simple feel of her. He could feel his hands shaking as he waited for her words.

“What have you been told?”

“I would rather the words come from you.”

“Okay.”

Charlotte took his hand and led him to where she had been. Loki held her hand, stopping as he looked into the woven cradle. Charlotte reached in pulling the bundle up and smiled to Loki.

“Say hello to your son.”

“I am a father.”

“Yeah, hold him.”

As the king of the nine realms, Loki had never been more petrified in all his 2000 years of drawing breath. The baby boy opened his eyes looking up to his father as he smiled. Loki’s Jotun heart melted as he was overtaken by the deep brown eyes that he had gotten from his mother.

“He is beautiful.”

The baby began to wiggle as Charlotte carefully unwrapped him for Loki to hold him better. He reached up with his small hand to touch Loki’s face.

“Hello, my son.”

Loki’s voice broke as a tear fell from his eyes.

“W-W… Has he a name?”

“I wanted to wait until you got back.”

“Three months and no name?”

“I have a name, I only wanted to wait until you got back. I didn’t want to be selfish.”

“You brought him into this world so it would only seem right.”

“Yeah, which hurt like hell by the way. I must have drank every potion they had and it still felt like I was doing splits on a stick of dynamite.”

“Well?”

“Dylan.”

“Really?”

“It was my mother’s name and it’s a boy’s name as well.”

“A young prince named after the queen’s warrior mother. It is the perfect name, my dear.”

He looked down to his son, to Dylan as the baby looked to his parents in wonder. Dylan sneezed, turning his skin blue and part of his eyes a brilliant red.

“He does that from time to time.”

“Has anyone else seen?”

“Only Odin but he was more joyed than worried.”

“I can fix this,” smiled Loki as he raised his hand.

“No,” said Charlotte as she stopped him, “Show him. Odin made a recording of your voice for him to hear when he was in my belly. He knows how you are just from hearing. I want him to _really_ see you.”

Loki grinned as he willed his form to vanish. His skin had turned blue as he held his son. His small, wondrous eyes shifted to his father as his own skin turned blue with darker lines appearing on his tiny body.

“Yes, my son. Be proud of who you are.”

Charlotte saw a seal appear at Loki’s wrist. Another appeared at Dylan’s wrist, disappearing as both of them returned to normal. Loki handed Charlotte the baby as she placed his back in his bassinette. Loki pulled Charlotte to the rocking chair near the cradle. Charlotte sat on his lap as Loki waved his hand to slowly rock the cradle.

“How was Eilfenheim?”

“At peace now. The prisoner are now locked away.”

He reached up, pulling Charlotte for a kiss as he slowly stroked her thigh through the nightgown.

“That’s wonderful to hear.”

“How is your training?”

“I started fighting with Sif again today but not as much as I would like to. Dylan is always so hungry. I’m trying to train as much as I can before to knock me up again.”

“Well,” he said as his fingers began to collect the bottom of her gown, “I am one for keeping my word and we need a girl to keep my word to my mother.”

Her gown bunched at her lap as he traced the edge of her mound with his fingers, slowly making her wet.

“What happens if it’s another boy?”

“Then I shall try again and again until we achieve as conceiving a little princess that looks like you.”

Charlotte bit back her moans as she was slowly controlled by Loki’s fingers. One hand was busy easing its way past Charlotte’s heated lips as the other pulled the ties to the front of her gown. The fabric was pulled away from her as Loki was greeted with the sight of Charlotte’s full breasts. He growled, becoming aroused and more than pleased at the changes in his wife’s anatomy as he licked his lips.

He got to his feet for a moment, turning her into the rocking chair as she bit her lip.

“Not here,” she begged.

Loki silenced her as he claimed her lips a single, hungry time. He moved his hand back, encasing it so no noise would reach the cradle without his say so. He turned back to Charlotte and smiled.

“Now,” he said flicking his glowing thumb at Charlotte’s hardened nipple, “I am not once for selfish needs but I have been without you for too long.”

Charlotte had slipped her hand to Loki’s trousers, using her knowledge of his wardrobe and sudden hunger for him to guide his cock from its restraints. He was painfully hard for her as he thrusted his hips forward, filling her a single time as her head tilted back to the rocking chair.

“Dylan enjoys this rocking chair. You better not break it.”

“Would you rather we break our own bed instead?”

“Yes.”

“Perhaps later or on the throne, if you prefer.”

He rocked his hips, using the arms of the chair to his advantage as he hoisted Charlotte’s legs up over his own arms. He thrusted into Charlotte, feeling her warmth constrict him. She opened her mouth, her voice calling out for Loki without whispering a single word. Loki reached between her and the chair as he twined his fingers into her long hair and yanked her head up. Charlotte gasped as she stared straight up into her husband’s eyes.

He roughly claimed her lips, swallowing her moans as he rocked the chair harder. He rolled a peaked nipple between his fingers to hear her voice raise, setting his teeth in defiance. The length of time spent away from her made him painfully hard as he drew nearer to his release. He moaned, latching himself to Charlotte’s neck as he fucked her harder.

He knew her eyes were drifting shut, bring her closer to coming. Loki brought her legs up to his shoulders, finding her softened spot as she began mewling and gasping for breath.

She jolted in the seat and grabbed onto Loki’s arms as she stiffened in his arms. Loki grunted, shifting and snapping his hips as quickly as he could as it began to twitch inside of her. He released into Charlotte, cursing into her neck as he held on tightly to the arms of the chair. The wood whined under his touch, pleading dearly with himself about not breaking another piece of furniture form their coupling.

Loki shuddered, gasping for air as he slowly was brought back to the room. He pulled out of Charlotte as she clutched the arms of the chair beneath her. Her eyes slowly opened, looking to Loki as he pushed the hair from her eyes.

Loki pushed his cock back into his trousers, not wanting to grow hard again for the moment. He pulled the edges of Charlotte’s nightgown back into place and carried her to the bed. Loki moved into the sheets with Charlotte safe in his arms. He tucked in the sheet around him before fetching Dylan and returning to the bed.

The baby cooed, laying soundly on his mother’s chest as he grabbed his father’s long finger to hold. Loki used his magic to close a few of the curtains. He smiled, looking to Dylan, then to his wife, proud as he held his family in his arms. Loki pressed his lips to Charlotte’s cheek as he slowly closed his eyes.


End file.
